Family Plot

Connect with Family Plot

Build a Holiday Evergreen Display

Jason Reeves from the West Tennessee AgResearch and Education Center in Jackson, demonstrates how to make beautiful holiday greenery displays using large pots and cuttings from evergreen shrubs and trees. Large plastic pots work best because they will not crack in the winter like clay pots may do.

Related Video:
Making a Fall Pumpkin Display
Attracting Winter Birds

Chainsaw Safety

Boxwood

Spring Blooming Bulbs
Attracting Winter Birds

Find Create in your area: www.CreateTV.com/locate

Visit the Family Plot YouTube Channel

This Week in the Garden

Fall and Winter Weed Control

Many people don’t think about weeds in the winter, but Alabama A&M University Extension Specialist Rudy Pacumbaba says during the wintertime there are a lot of weeds that sprout. Using a preemergent herbicide is the best and easiest way to control weeds before they sprout, especially in the lawn. >>Watch

Garden Notes
Turning a Compost Pile

Tipton County Extension agent Joellen Dimond shows how to turn a compost pile. In compost piles bacteria break down organic matter. Those bacteria require oxygen to work. Turning compost piles prevents them from becoming matted and blocking air flow into the pile. >>Watch

Preparing Garden Tools for Winter

Retired UT Extension Agent Mike Dennison shows what he does to take care of his garden tools before he puts them away for the winter. Taking care of tools will make them last a long time. Mike shows a hoe that was purchased by his father in the 1960s and was used for years on the family farm. It still has the original handle and Mike shows what he does to preserve the metal and wood. >>Watch

Winterizing the Vegetable Garden

Master Gardener Tom Mashour talks about what he does to get his vegetable garden ready for winter and planting in the spring. He likes to have his garden weed free in the spring. He talks about the pros and cons of three ways to get rid of weeds: herbicide, tilling, and hand weeding. >>Watch

Ornamentals and Trees in the Winter

TSU Extension Agent Joellen Dimond talks about how to help your shrubs and trees survive the winter and be ready to thrive next year. November and December are the best times to plant bulbs for early spring color. Fall is a good time to divide perennials. >>Watch

A Season-Long Look at Five Mulches

A head-to-head garden mulch comparison puts cardboard, pine bark, cypress, black plastic, and bare soil to the test across 175 days, tracking changes in soil temperature, moisture, and weed pressure. The results show differences in performance, including which mulches reduce weeds and a few surprises that shift expectations about which materials actually hold up over time. >>Watch

Growing Herbs Indoors During Winter

As temperatures begin to drop, bringing herbs indoors before the first frost can keep the harvest of fresh herbs going all winter. Many herbs adapt well to indoor conditions if they receive adequate light, moderate moisture, and proper air circulation. >>Watch
Easy to Grow Herbs
Harvesting, Drying, and Preserving Herbs
Freezing Herbs

How to Plant Flower Bulbs

Caring for Chrysanthemums

Intro to Birdwatching

Planting Fall Annuals

Bats

Cool-Season Fall Lawn Care

Looking for more garden info?

Viewer Questions

I have a tree limb in the way. Can I prune it now or should I wait for spring?

If the limb is in the way you can cut it off any time. Jason Reeves from the West Tennessee AgResearch and Education Center says if you want to do heavy pruning on a tree it is best to wait until late winter. >>Watch

Do we have to bring our lemon tree indoors for the winter?

Lemons are very sensitive to cold and frost. If you live in a climate where it gets below freezing in the winter, you must protect your lemon trees by moving them indoors. Jason Reeves from the West Tennessee AgResearch and Education Center recommends treating with a dormant oil to kill any insect pests that are on the tree before moving the plant inside. >>Watch

What has been eating my sweet potatoes?

Retired UT Extension Agent Mike Dennison says this looks like white grub damage on the sweet potato. There are many kinds of white grubs. They eat a small amount on the tuber when it is young and then as the sweet potato grows the damage appears to get bigger. It is also possible that the damage is caused by white fringe beetle larva, wireworm or root worm. >>Watch

When can I cut back my gardenia bush?

The best time to cut back a gardenia bush is in the early spring. Jason Reeves from the West TN AgResearch and Education Center says if it is a tropical gardenia you should not trim it back before you bring it in the house for the winter. The pruning will encourage new growth which you don’t want in the house. If it is a hardy gardenia that you will be leaving outside, you can trim it a little now. But, the best time to prune is the spring. >>Watch

This year every pecan has a worm in it. How do I fix this?

Retired UT Extension Agent and pecan expert Mike Dennison says this problem is the pecan weevil. In the fall there is nothing you can do about it. Next year you can prevent the problem. Study up now so you can be informed and ready next year. Pecan weevils spend most of their life in the ground. They come out of the ground as adults, crawl up the pecan tree and feed on the immature pecans. >>Watch