How-to and Informational
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Understanding and Selecting Insecticides for Gardeners
Insecticides play a crucial role in managing pests in the garden, but with so many options available, choosing the right one can be difficult. Retired UT Extension Agent Mike Dennison breaks down the four major categories of insecticides and discuss important considerations when selecting and using them effectively.
Related Videos: Applying Insecticides to Prevent Squash Vine Borer Systemic Insecticides Related Resources: Botanical Insecticides Organic vs. Conventional (Synthetic) Pesticides: Advantages and Disadvantages |
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Planting Onions
Onions are a simple vegetable to grow in your garden. UT Extension Director Walter Battle shows how to plant several different kinds of onions including seeds, slips, and bulbs. In the field they need to be planted in rows 36 inches apart, but in a small home garden they can be closer together. The individual plants need to be at least 3 inches apart - far enough to let them grow to full size. Walter also talks about how to prepare the soil for planting. He also talks about when onions are ready to harvest and how to prepare them for storage.
Related Video: Growing Onions Fertilizing Onions Related Resources: Onions Growing onions in home gardens Onion, Leek, Shallot, & Garlic |
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Planting Native Azaleas: Tips for Success
Native azaleas are a great addition to a garden with afternoon shade. Dale Skaggs, the Director of Horticulture at the Dixon Gallery & Gardens, along with Kyle McLean, the Manager of Grounds Horticulture show how to plant an native azalea and give tips on taking care of it so it will beautify your garden for years.
Related Videos: When is the correct time to prune my encore azaleas? Native Azaleas: Add Classic Spring Color to Your Southern Landscape Related Resources: Selecting and Growing Azaleas Native azaleas add charm, early blooms to landscapes |
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Planting a Butterfly Garden
TSU Extension Agent Joellen Dimond plants a butterfly garden and explains why she picked the plants she is planting. She also makes a place for the butterflies to get water and sun themselves.
Joellen has picked a combination of perennials and annuals. Some are useful to the adult butterfly and some are eaten by the larvae. All of them have bright colored flowers which attract the butterflies. Also, all the plants have the same growing requirements: full sun and drier conditions. Joellen also plants some herbs that the butterflies will like. Find a PDF List of Plants here. Related Videos: Other Pollinators in the Butterfly Garden TWIG Flowers for Butterflies Planting Annuals in the Butterfly Garden Related Resources: Butterfly Gardening Butterfly Gardening |
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Annual Flowers for Full Sun,
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Keep Insects From Harming Your Plants: Understand and Use Horticultural Oils
Horticultural oils are an option for insect control in the garden, but not all oils are created equal. Retired UT Extension Agent Mike Dennison talked about about the nuances of horticultural oils, their effectiveness, and demonstrated proper application techniques.
Related Video: Spraying Dormant Oil on Crape Myrtle Dormant Oils Related Resources: General Comments about the Use of Horticultural Oil Insect Control: Horticultural Oils |
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Straw Bale Gardening
If you don’t have a place to grow a garden or your ground is bad, a straw bale garden is a great option. Dixon Gallery and Garden Volunteer Coordinator Tonya Ashworth shows how to prepare and plant a straw bale garden. In a straw bale garden, the plants grow in the straw instead of soil.
Before a straw bale can be planted it needs to start decomposing. Tonya shows how to start the process and what to do to the bale each day. Once the Bale is starting to decompose, planting is straight forward, and Tonya shows how to plant tomato plants and zucchini seeds. She also talks about fertilizing the plants through the growing season. At the end of the season you can compost the bale or use the straw to mulch. Related Video: Planting an Herb and Flower Container Garden Related Resources: Straw Bale Gardening Straw Bale Gardening |
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Calculating Lawn Fertilizer
How do you know how much fertilizer to spread on your yard? You will probably need to do some math. Retired UT Extension Agent Mike Dennison shows how to figure out how big your yard is and then do the math to determine how much fertilizer to spread. He gives an example and walks through the steps.
Related Videos: How to Calibrate Your Fertilizer Spreader Fertilizer Basics Kinds of Fertilizer Related Resources: Calculating the Amount of Fertilizer Needed for Your Home Fertilizing Your Garden Fertilizing Your Lawn |
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Growing Onions
UT Extension Agent Walter Battle talks about onions. Onions are one of the first vegetables in the ground in the spring. In the Mid-South area around Memphis that is late February or early March. Onions are very frost tolerant so they can be planted long before the last frost. There are two main kinds of onions: spring, bunch, or green onions; and dry onions. You can plant the spring onions about two inches apart because they will not be growing a large bulb before they are used. The dry onions will be forming a bulb and should be planted at least six inches apart to allow room to grow. Green onions are ready for harvest in about 60 days or whenever they look to be the right size for your needs. Dry onions are ready for harvest when the green tops have fallen over (about 100 days or so). Dry onions need to be prepared for storage by drying or curing out of the garden. Walter places the onions on a wire mesh table in his garage for several weeks so they can dry out. Onions like a neutral pH soil but can grow in slightly alkaline to slightly acid soils. Onions do not like wet feet so they should be planted on top a small ridge. Fertilize with a balanced fertilizer. Onions tend to be disease and pest free but there are a few things that can affect them.
Related Videos: Planting Onions Planting Cool Season Vegetables Related Resources: Growing Onions in Home Gardens Onions in the Garden Onion Planting |
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Easy Way to Root Cuttings from Annuals
Horticulture Expert Dr. Lelia Kelly shows how to easily and cheaply root cuttings from garden annuals. Every year there are annuals that you hate to see die in the frost. Most of them root easily. You can take cuttings from them in late summer, root them, grow them over the winter and replant them outside the next spring. Lelia demonstrates how to root a coleus. She uses a knife to cut off a terminal (end of a branch). Then she pinches off the leaves that are low on the cutting and pokes the cut end into some moistened potting soil. She them makes a greenhouse for the plant from either a few sticks and a shower cap or a soda bottle. The greenhouse keeps the plant from drying out. After a few weeks, the cutting will have grown some roots. Place the plant with roots in a bright place and water occasionally during the winter. In the spring, you can go plant it back in the garden. Repeat every year to keep your favorite and best performing plants going year after year.
Related Videos: Potting Rooted Cuttings How do you root roses from clippings? Related Resources: Flowering Annuals: Characteristics and Culture Growing Annual Flowers Propagation |
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Problems to Avoid in Nursery Plants
Nurseries have lots of plants. Some are in better condition than others. University of Memphis Director of Landscape Joellen Dimond talks about and shows examples of what you should avoid when buying plants. Diseased and root bound plants are an obvious no, but there are many other red flags to look out for. Joellen talks about potential problems with old wounds, suckers, staking, roots, shape and even weeds.
Related Videos: Nursery Plant Selection What to do with Broken Branches on Nursery Plants Related Resource: Choosing Healthy Plants Selecting Quality Trees From the Nursery |
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Pruning (Not Murdering) Crape MyrtlesCertified arborist Wes Hopper prunes a Crape Myrtle that has previously been “murdered,” or the top has been chopped off. He starts by removing the low hanging branches and twigs that will poke him as he prunes. He throws the debris away from the tree so he will not trip on it as he is moving around while looking up. This Crape Myrtle tree has multiple stems. Some of those stems are crowded so Wes cuts off several of the stems. This opens up the middle of the tree. Wes likes to use hand pruners whenever possible to avoid damaging the thin bark. Wes removes the epicormic growth, or growth that grows secondary like water sprouts. Epicormic growth is weak and loosely attached to the tree. Wes tries to cut the branches he does not want to grow beyond the branch collar. This will keep them from growing. Wes then prunes the upper canopy of the tree with a pole pruner. He removes the old seed pods. He cuts just above a node to allow for future growth. Finally, he cuts back the suckers around the base of the tree.
Related Videos: Treating Crape Myrtle Bark Scale What is this bark damage on my crape myrtles? Related Resources: Crape Myrtle Pruning Pruning Crapemyrtles Crapemyrtle Pruning |
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Peppers
Master Gardener Tom Mashour talks about peppers. There are hundreds of varieties of peppers available. Pepper heat is rated on the Scoville scale: bell peppers rate as a 0 and the hottest peppers rate at over 1,000,000. Peppers are a member of the nightshade family so they are wind pollinated – the flowers have both male and female parts. Because of this don’t plant hot peppers next to sweet peppers the pollen from the hot pepper can cause the sweet peppers to be hot. Starting peppers is easy but they need to be started inside about two months before they are ready to be planted in the garden. Tom plants his bell peppers in pairs so they can shade each other and prevent sun scald on the fruit.
Peppers need at least 6 hours of sunlight per day. Peppers need to be staked for support. They like a damp soil and a balanced fertilizer. If you limit the plant to three or four peppers at a time the peppers will be good size. As peppers turn red they get sweeter. There is a point where the pepper is red but with a little green where it is sweet but not mushy. Related Videos: When to Pick Bell Peppers Planting Peppers New Pepper Varieties Related Resources: Pepper Peppers Home Gardening Series: Peppers |
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Planting Myths
UT Extension Horticulture Specialist Carol Reese gives some common planting myths and corrects them.
Myth: Soil amendments are necessary. Fact: Often adding amendments changes the soil structure and may not help the plant. If you add amendments, do it to the whole area around the plant, not just the planting hole Myth: Add hormones and root stimulator. Fact: There is no scientific evidence that they help. Also, don’t fertilize woody plants for at least the first year. Myth: Container plants are better than ball and burlap plants. Fact: Container plants have problems with girdling roots. Myth: You can leave the burlap on the root ball. Fact: You want the roots to get in contact with the native soil as fast as possible so take off all the burlap, wire, etc. Those things will hinder plant growth. Myth: Ball and burlap can only be planted when the plant is dormant. Fact: You can plant anytime but be aware of the higher water requirements in the active growing season especially in the summer. Myth: With ball and burlap, keep the soil together. Fact: Removing all the nursery soil from the root ball has been shown to cause faster plant recovery. Myth: Mulching with raw wood chips steals nutrients from the soil. Fact: Raw wood chips do not rob the soil of nutrients from mature plants. It can be a bad idea of you till it in around young plants. Myth: You must fertilize your shrubs. Fact: You don’t need to fertilize woody plants. They live just fine in the forest with no help. Myth: Manure is a great fertilizer for all plants. Fact: Manure is alkaline. Acid loving plants do not like it because it makes the soil too basic. Research your plant before using it. Myth: Compost tea is great. Fact: How can diluted compost work better than full strength compost? Myth: Some plants keep mosquitoes away. Fact: Mosquitoes do not avoid plants. For example, they will land on citronella with no harm. Related Videos: Planting Vegetable Seeds Planting a Tree Related Resources: Planting Shrubs Correctly Planting Landscape Trees and Shrubs Planting Trees Correctly |
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Planting Cabbage, Broccoli and Cauliflower
Cabbage, Broccoli, and Cauliflower are all in the brassica family. They are sometimes called cole crops. UT Extension Haywood County Director Walter Battle shows how to plant themin the home garden. Brassicas can grow in many different soil conditions, but they like well drained soil. Fertilizing can improve results. Generally,they should be planted with 15-inch spacing in rows 36 inches apart. If you have limited space,you can reduce the row spacing to 15-18 inches. They should be planted the same depth as the container,and if you ridge them up or place them on top of a small mound it will improve drainage,and Walter shows how to easily do this while planting. Walter talks about planting radish and mustard,and turnip greens seed.If you plant these plants,they will get the cabbage worm and cabbage looper. Bothcan be stopped by using BT (Bacillus thuringiensis) which is an organic insecticide that kills caterpillars.Cabbage,broccoli, and cauliflower should be transplanted to the garden 30 days before the last frost and will be ready to harvest about 60 days later.
Related Video: Cabbage Protecting Cabbage, Broccoli, and Cauliflower from Hungry Worms Related Resources: Growing cabbage in home gardens Broccoli Growing Cauliflower |
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Seven Great Landscape Trees
There are many kinds of trees to choose from and Joellen Dimond, University of Memphis Director of Landscape, talks about some of her favorites. For each variety she talks about the characteristics, climate range, size, and ideal growing conditions:
-Downy Serviceberry (Amelanchier arborea) -American Hornbeam (Carpinus caroliniana) -Eastern Redbud (Cercis canadensis) -Dogwood (Cornus spp.) -Washington Hawthorn (Crataegus phaenopyrum) -Ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba) -Sweetbay Magnolia (Magnolia virginiana) Related Video: Planting a Tree Related Resources: Trees in the Home Landscape Small Deciduous Trees Search for the best tree based on site characteristics |
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Building a Blackberry Trellis
Retired UT Extension Agent Mike Dennison shows how to build a blackberry trellis out of four t-posts and a 16-foot piece of livestock panel. The blackberries, planted last year, have outgrown their nursery provided stakes. Also, as blackberries do, they will be spreading and multiplying. Mike starts off driving the t-posts into the ground. Once the two end posts are driven into the ground he uses a fencing trick by running a string between them. He uses the string to keep his line of posts straight. After the posts are in place, he attaches the livestock panel to them with t-post clips.
Related Videos: Blackberry Pruning and Fertilizing Should I avoid wood chip mulching to reduce fungus on my raspberry/blackberry hybrid? Preparing Blackberry Plants for Winter Related Resources: Trellis Construction to Grow Fruit Growing Blackberries in Your Home Garden Home Garden Raspberries and Blackberries |
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Hydroponics Basics
Master Gardener Stephan Leonard talks about Hydroponics. Hydroponics is growing a plant without soil. Hydroponics is where the root system is gathering its nutrients directly from water. The water contains a nutrient solution that has the macro-nutrients like nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. It also contains the 13 micro-nutrients the plants need to grow. The plants are planted in a soilless medium that provides structural support. Mediums can include Rockwool or beads. The medium allows the roots to grow through to the solution below.
With hydroponics, you can grow year around outdoors or indoors with a more consistent and predictable yield. With hydroponics you are controlling all the variables but you need a power source to circulate the nutrient solution. Aeroponics is like hydroponics but the system mists the nutrients onto the roots of the plant. One of the important things to monitor in a hydroponic system is the pH of the solution. If the pH is not in the correct range then the plants cannot take up the nutrients with their roots and will not grow properly or may even die. Also, you need to provide light to the plants. This can come from the sun or from artificial lights. Most hydroponic kits require changing out the solution every week or so. This prevents salt build-up and helps keep the pH in the correct range. In a traditional hydroponics system you cannot grow underground vegetables and peppers do not taste normal because they lack the pepper heat. Related Video: Changing Hydroponics Nutrient Solution Building an Inexpensive Aeroponics System Why are my hydroponic tomato leaves miscolored with a pattern? Related Resources: Hydroponics Home Hydroponics Hydroponics for Home Gardeners |
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Building a Self-Watering Houseplant Pot
Most houseplants like even moisture, but it can be hard to maintain the right amount of moisture. Dixon Gallery and Gardens Volunteer Coordinator Tonya Ashworth shows how to build a pot that will keep your houseplants watered for up to two weeks and shows when it needs more water. The system works by using another larger pot as a reservoir for the water, and capillary mat fabric to wick the water up to the plant. Tonya also shows how to build a water level indicator and then hide the system with Spanish moss.
Related Video: Repotting Houseplants Repotting Grocery Store Orchids Related Resource: Self-Watering Containers |
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How to Read Garden Chemical Labels
Knowing how to read chemical labels is critical for safely using garden pesticides. Retired UT Extension Agent Mike Dennison shows and explains the main parts of a pesticide label. He us using liquid Sevin for the demonstration but the same principles apply for all garden chemical labels.
The federal government requires certain things to be on a label. On the front of every container is the list of the ingredients. There are long instructions attached to the container, usually a booklet on the back. The booklet contains first aid information for exposure. It also has information for physicians if someone has been poisoned by the chemical. The booklet contains information on if or how the chemical is harmful to the environment or pets. It also contains the words “It is a violation of Federal law to use this product in a manner inconsistent with its labeling.” Because of this, the only allowed uses of the chemical is what is specified on the label. The label also talks about how to store and dispose of the chemical. Then the label talks about specific application rates, insects, timing, etc. There are signal words on the front of every container (in order of seriousness): Caution, Warning, and Danger. Most chemicals available to homeowners are listed as caution because they have low toxicity. Restricted use pesticides often carry the Warning or Danger signal words which indicate a higher toxicity. In all cases the label is the law. The label needs to stay with the chemical. You cannot store the chemical in another container without the label. Related Videos: Garden Safety Pesticide Lifespan and Storage Pesticide Modes of Action Related Resources: Reading and Understanding Pesticide Labels Understanding the Pesticide Label |
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Hostas
Hosta expert Jim Crowder from Memphis Botanic Garden talks about basic hosta care and shows a few varieties. All hostas prefer shade. They can also tolerate extremely dry shade. They can be planted next to a large tree - that would out-compete many other plants - and do well.
There are a lot of variation in hostas. Some are small, others large. There are a wide range of leaf colors and flower colors. There are over 4000 named cultivars of hostas. Jim shows some of his favorite cultivars: ‘designer genes’ which has a red petiole, ‘Hadspen Blue’ has leaves that have a steel blue color, ‘high society’ has yellow variegation in the center of the leaf and does not fade, ‘remember me’ is another variegated hosta with a yellow leaf center, ‘curly fries’ has long slender wavy leaves that start out yellow and turn green through the season, ‘ivory coast’ is a taller hosta with lighter variegation, and ‘Empress Wu’ which grows four feet high and eight feet wide. Many hostas sport unique-to-the-plant features like white leaves or unique variegation patterns. One of the biggest problems with hostas is voles. They will tunnel under mulch or travel in unused mole tunnels and devour the roots and crown of hostas. Voles don’t like to be in the open so avoid using mulch. Hostas are relatively disease free. A few years ago there was a disease called virus X that caused changes to the plant like corrugated leaves or streaks or ripples in color of the leaves. Virus X is only transmitted by man. A hosta that is infected can be removed and a new hosta planted in its place without transmitting the disease. Hostas grow and spread by growing pups. Some hosta varieties do not pup quickly. You can encourage this by rossizing the hosta. Related Videos: Dividing and Potting Hostas Rossizing Hostas Vole Proofing and Planting Hostas Related Resources: Hosta Hostas A Host of Hostas |
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Spring Soil Preparation
Retired UT Extension Agent Mike Dennison talks about getting your garden soil ready for planting. The best way to start your soil prep is to get a soil test. This is best done in the fall to give any needed lime a chance to change the soil pH. If it is spring, get the test and put out the lime. It will take a few months to take effect but will change the pH over the season. The soil test also tells you how much fertilizer you need.
Remove vegetation from the area you are going to plant. You can do this with a rototiller, chemicals, a shovel, etc. Don’t work the soil when it is too wet because it will form clods that will stay through the growing season. If you would like to get an early start on your garden create 6-8-inch ridges in the fall. These ridges will dry out and warm up faster than flat ground. There is an online national soil survey and you can find out what kind of soil you have in your garden for free. This will help you know if your soil is sandy or has lots of clay and the percolation rate of the soil. You need drainage in your garden. If water is standing in your garden you need to create a way for it to drain, dig a ditch. Related Videos: How To Take a Soil Sample Tilling and Amending a New Garden Garden Fertilizer Math Changing Garden Soil pH Related Resources: Soil Testing Prepare Your Soil Soil Preparation for Vegetable Gardens |
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Growing Potatoes
Potatoes are a garden staple. They may be eaten many ways: fried, boiled, or creamed. Haywood County UT Extension Director Walter Battle talks about the basics of growing potatoes. In the Mid-South, potatoes are usually planted from mid-March to mid-April. It takes 90-100 days from planting to harvest. In warmer climates it is possible to grow a spring and a fall crop. Potatoes like a pH of 6.1-6.2. Use a 6-12-12 fertilizer if your soil needs the nutrients. A soil test will tell you.
The eye of the potato will grow into a plant. Several days before planting, cut your seed potatoes so there are eyes on each piece. Set them aside for several days so the cut dries and scabs over. Plant six inches deep with each potato piece about a foot apart. When the potato plants are about six inches tall cover the bottom 3-4 inches with a mound of soil. When the plants die back the potatoes are ready to dig. Dig from the side to avoid damaging the potatoes. Do not wash the potatoes, that will cause rot. Lay them out for several weeks to allow them to dry out and cure before storing them. If stored in a cool place they can last many months. Potatoes are the favorite food of the Colorado potato beetle. There are several insecticides on the market that can control that insect. Potatoes are in the same family as tomatoes and get many of the same diseases. Early blight can affect potatoes but can be controlled with fungicides. Related Videos: Planting Potatoes Planting Sweet Potatoes Related Resources: Potato Growing potatoes in home gardens Potatoes in the Home Garden |
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New Pepper Varieties
There are several new disease resistant varieties of pepper available to home gardeners. UT Assistant Professor of Horticulture Natalie Bumgarner talks about some of the ones she has successfully grown in her vegetable trials.
Black spot is a common pepper disease which can reduce yields. Luckily there are several cultivars which are black spot resistant. For bell peppers, Natalie likes Alliance, Red Knight, Mecate, and Big Bertha (which does not have black spot resistance but still performed well). Italian roasting or bullhorn peppers have an elongated shape; good choices here include Carmen, Mama Mia Giallo, Corno di Toro, and Cornito Giallo. For Jalapeno hot peppers, Natalie recommends Emerald Fire and Spicy Slice. For novelty peppers she recommends Mad Hatter and Candy Cane. Many ornamental peppers are hot but are not that great tasting. Lately there are several ornamental peppers that are more mild and better tasting that have come on the market like Pretty N Sweet. You can see All-American Selection Pepper winners at the AAS website Related Videos: Planting Peppers Growing Peppers Related Resources: Growing Peppers in the Home Garden Growing peppers in home gardens Home Garden Peppers |
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Tilling and Amending a New Garden
Retired UT Extension Agent Mike Dennison shows how to get a section of turf grass ready to become a new garden. He is doing this in the fall so the amendments have time to break down over the winter. The first thing he did was get a soil test. The soil test allows him to know exactly what to do to the ground with fertilizer and amendments. He sprayed the area that would be tilled with glyphosate (Round-up). This killed the grass. The grass yellowed but did not turn brown. This is because in the cooler weather the grass was not growing. The grass is still dead, just not brown. Then he tilled the grass. After that he added three inches of amendments to the top of the soil. Lime is best added when tilling but he did not add any because the soil test said the soil was very basic already. He then went over the soil several times with the rototiller to mix the amendments in. Mike only tilled half of the garden because the other half was too wet to work.
Related Videos: Rototilling a Garden Soil Preparation Related Resources: Soil Preparation Improving Garden Soil |
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Planting Shrubs in Wet Heavy Soils
UT Extension Agent Joellen Dimond and Chris Cooper plant a bed in front of WKNO’s studios. Joellen finds the bed has several problems. The soil test comes back okay, but the soil is heavy and wet, so wet that a percolation test could not be conducted because the water just did not drain from a freshly dug hole. The bed also has a very thick mulch layer, 6+ inches in some places. Because of the hard soil and deep mulch, the existing magnolia trees have many, if not most, of their roots in the mulch layer.
Using this information, Joellen designed an attractive layout using plants that can tolerate living in a wet area (find her design here). She chose to use Florida Anise, Dwarf Yaupon Holly, Anthony Waterer Spirea, Stella de Oro Daylily, Plumbago, Ogon Sweet Flag, and Canna. She also chose these plants because they should be easy to find in the nursery. Because of the poor percolation Joellen chose to plant the plants with only two thirds of the existing roots under the soil. This would allow some of the plant’s roots to be above the water so they can breathe. When Joellen, Chris and a group of master gardeners were finished, where there was once a bland, bare mulched bed there is now a beautiful arrangement of shrubs and plants. Read more details and find a sketch of Joellen's plan here. Related Videos: Spring Tree Pruning Dividing Cannas Canna Leaf Roller Dividing Ogon |
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Companion Planting
Gardening expert Tonya Ashworth talks about companion planting in the garden. Companion planting is when you plant two or more crops together to try to influence pest pressure, increase yield, or gain some other benefit. A classic companion planting from the Native Americans is called the “three sisters,” corn, green beans and squash were grown together. The corn provided a place for the beans to climb, The beans provided nitrogen to the corn and the squash kept out the racoons and provided shade and weed suppression. In the 1960s and 1970s there were many lists of companion plantings circulated. Most of these have been debunked by scientific study. There were a few companion plantings however that have proven to work: Basil and tomatoes, potatoes and beans, onions and carrots, among others.
Marigolds are also often planted ward off insects. Marigolds can be effective against soil nematodes but not in the same season. If you have nematode problem plant the marigolds and then wait a few seasons. Marigolds can also reduce insect pressure but it is not always beneficial to yields. For example, marigolds will reduce the number of Mexican bean beetles on beans but will also reduce yield. One way to benefit from a companion planting situation is to plant a polyculture – plant of many varieties close together. This confuses the insects and they may not be able to find their favorite host plant among all the different smells from the plants. Another idea is to plant a group of plants near your garden to host beneficial insects. This way when harmful insects invade your garden they will be nearby. Related Videos: Planting a Butterfly Garden Planting Tropical Hibiscus and Begonias Related Resources: Trap Crops, Intercropping, and Companion Planting Companion Planting (University of Nevada) Companion Planting (Cornell University) |
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Squash
Haywood County UT Extension Director Walter Battle talks all about squash. There are two major kinds of squash summer and winter. Squash should be planted spring through July. Check the seed packet to make sure there is time to harvest before frost. Squash plants like to run so you should space them out when you plant them.
A disease of squash is powdery mildew. This can be controlled by a fungicide. A major insect pest of squash is the squash vine borer which can decimate a plant overnight. There are also squash bugs which multiply rapidly. Summer squash is ready to pick about 50 days after planting, and can produce for up to six weeks. Winter squash is ready in about 60-70 days and can store in correct conditions for as long as four months. Make sure you pick every other day as the squash on the vine grows very fast. You should be able to produce about 75-100 pounds of squash from a 100-foot row. Related Videos: Squash Pests Growing Summer Squash Squash Vine Borer Related Resources: Summer Squash Pumpkins & Winter Squash Homegrown Summer and Winter Squash |
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Repotting Houseplants
Rick Pudwell, Director of Horticulture at the Memphis Botanic Garden demonstrates how to repot a houseplant and gives some tips for healthy, happy houseplants.
The first plant he repots is a sansevieria, otherwise called a mother-in-law tongue. The plant he is working with has grown for many years in a small pot. Rick teases out the roots to stop them from circling. The new pot he uses has a drainage hole at the bottom, which you want. He puts some broken clay pot shards in the new pot over the hole. This allows good drainage but keeps the soil from falling out. He uses a potting mix and fills soil around the plant so it sits in the pot at the same depth as the previous pot. He also makes sure the soil level is below the top of the pot to prevent water from running over the sides. He packs the soil around the plant to hold the plant and soil in place. Finally, Rick places the pot on a saucer to catch the water that will run out the bottom. Rick then gives watering instructions for this plant. Rick then repots a Croton. This particular plant has a poor root system. Most of the roots have rotted away from overwatering. The plant is also laying down in the pot. Because of the poor condition of the root ball Rick selects a smaller pot than he was originally going to use. He sets the plant at an angle in the new pot – so it is growing straight up – and fills in the soil. Then he uses a bamboo stake to hold it up. When he is done repotting the plants, Rick gives general houseplant care advice. Most houseplants are from the tropics so they do better when watered with luke-warm water. He also recommends getting a small spray bottle and spritzing the plants in the morning to give them a little humidity. Houses are usually drier than tropical plants prefer. For fertilizer Rick recommends fertilizing from March to October with a liquid fertilizer at half the strength recommended on the box. He also gives advice on how to control insects on houseplants. Related Videos: Building a Self-Watering Houseplant Pot Repotting Aloe Vera Repotting Grocery Store Orchids Related Resources: Indoor Plants - Transplanting & Repotting Repotting Houseplants Caring for Houseplants |
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Summer Lawn Watering
UT Extension Agent Booker T. Leigh talks about the ins and outs of watering lawns in the heat of the summer. Booker says that the best time to water your lawn is early in the morning. This way the water has time to soak in before it evaporates like it would in the heat of the day. The grass will also have time to dry before evening. If plants are wet at night it encourages the growth of diseases.
Lawns with warm season grasses like Bermuda and zoysia should have about one inch of water a week. It is best if the lawn gets that water all at one time. This allows the water to really soak into the soil. Also, the top of the soil will dry out between waterings. This will force the grass roots to grow deeper into the soil in search of water, which also makes the grass more drought tolerant and healthier. With frequent shallow watering, grass roots will be near the surface where they can easily dry out and die. Booker also gives tips for watering new grass seed and watering before and after you lay sod. Related Videos: Summer Lawn Problems Lawn Fertilization Lawn Weed Killer Application Related Resources: Watering Lawns Home Lawn Watering Guide Summer Lawn Management: Watering the Lawn |
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Chamaecyparis (False Cypress)
TSU Extension Agent Joellen Dimond talks about Chamaecyparis or False Cypress. They are coniferous evergreens. There are many kinds of false cypress ranging in size from inches to tall trees. Many false cypress plants are used for specimen plantings in the landscape because they are unique. The leaves are often curled and twisted which gives interest.
Chamaecyparis generally like well-drained soil. If you live in a place with heavy soils make sure you plant them is a well-drained area or in a container. They like sun but not quite full sun except for the tree varieties that like full sun. They are relatively free of insect pests except for bagworms which do get on them. There is one native false cypress (Chamaecyparis thyoides) in the United States. It is a coastal plant native to the Atlantic seaboard that grows in wet areas and full sun. There are many cultivars of this plant available but you may need to get them from a catalog. Related Videos: When Can I Plant My Leyland Cypress My Leyland Cypress is dying My Cryptomeria is Turning Brown Related Resources: Chamaecyparis lawsoniana: Lawson Falsecypress Chamaecyparis obtusa: Hinoki Falsecypress |
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Spirea
TSU Extension Agent, Joellen Dimond talks, about Spriea and some of the available cultivars. Spirea is a blooming deciduous shrub. Traditionally, they are very large but there are many new smaller cultivars available including dwarf varieties that grow to about one foot tall. Depending on the cultivar you can have blooms from spring till frost including through the heat of the summer. Some varieties also have beautiful colorful leaves. Spirea likes well drained soil but can tolerate many soil conditions.
Related Videos: Planting Shrubs in Wet Heavy Soil Abelia Related Resources: Spirea Using Trees and Shrubs for Privacy and Wind Screening Selecting Landscape Plants: Deciduous Shrubs |
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Dealing with Landscape Professionals
Madison County Extension Agent, Celeste Scott, talks about the different types of landscape professionals and gives tips on how to have your landscape project go smoothly and get what you want.
Landscape architects have engineering experience and design the overall master plan. They are less concerned with the plants and more with the overall flow and function of the space. Landscape designers are more artistic and make the plant choices and plant design for the area. If your project is not extensive you can hire a landscape designer and forgo the architect as architects can be expensive. Landscape contractors move the dirt and do the installation of the plants. Landscape designers on a small project may do the contractor work themselves. Celeste also gives some tips for project success including: - Build a relationship with the professional you are hiring. Be open and able to communicate with them. - Have a budget in place before you start. - Be open about what you want in the landscaped area. - Make sure you sign a contract. - Identify your personal garden style and communicate it to the professional. Related Videos: Landscaping Principles Planting a Tree Related Resources: Choosing a Landscape Professional Landscaping Your Front Yard Low Maintenance Landscape Ideas |
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Protecting Perennial Herbs from
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