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Garden Notes - 2020

Weeds: Hairy Bittercress

UT Extension Agent Chris Cooper identifies his favorite weed, Hairy bittercress. This cool-season weed can shoot its seeds when it is disturbed.

Related Resources:
Hairy Bittercress

Refreshing Dusty Miller

The last few months have been rainy and wet, and the Dusty Miller is looking very sad but there is new growth under the older dead stems and leaves. Joellen Dimond, University of Memphis Director of Landscape shows how to trim off the dead growth to reveal the new growth underneath.

See Joellen Plant this Dusty Miller


Related Resources:
Dusty Miller, Senecio cineraria

Wild Violets

Wild Violet, often called Johnny Jump up, is a winter annual that is very noticeable for it’s purple or red flowers appearing early in the year. It is considered a weed in lawns or flowerbeds. UT Extension Agent Chris Cooper identifies it, and tells how to control it if desired.

Related Resources:
Wild Violet Control in Turfgrass

Correct Planting Depth

To thrive plants need to be planted at the correct depth. UT Extension Agent Chris Cooper shows example of cauliflower plants planted too deep, too shallow and just right.

Related Resources:
The Tennessee Vegetable Garden - Backyard Vegetables

Marestail

Marestail is an annual weed that can grow to six feet. UT Extension Agent Chris Cooper talks about its life cycle and shows its long taproot that may make it hard to eradicate from the garden.

Related Resources:
Marestail (Horseweed) Management

Labeling Garden Sprayers

You need to make sure you don’t use the same sprayer for herbicides and fungicides. Residual herbicide in the tank will unintentionally damage plants. UT Extension Agent Chris Cooper talks about the importance of labeling your sprayers to make sure you don’t mix them up.

Related Videos:
Mixing and Applying Fungicide

Daisy Fleabane

Daisy Fleabane is a common garden weed. UT Extension Agent Chris Cooper talks about the weed's life cycle.

Related Videos:
Notes- Marestail

Make a Simple Seeder

Master Gardener Tom Mashour shows how to turn a used spice gar into a simple seeder for your garden.

Related Video:
Planting Vegetable Seeds

May 23, 2020

Did the Soil Drench Work?

This week in the garden, TSU Extension Agent Joellen Dimond looks at some shrubs that were infested with scale last year. When the scale was discovered, the shrubs were treated with the systemic insecticide imidacloprid. They look healthy and scale free this year. One shrub was not treated. It looks to be in bad condition.
​
Related Video:
Imidacloprid

Related Resources:
Crepe Myrtle Bark Scale Identification and Control 
Pesticide Injection and Drenching 

May 30, 2020

Summer Hanging Basket Care

UT Extension Horticultural Specialist Carol Reese shows how to tell when a hanging basket needs water and talks about how to water it. She also gives some other tips on summer hanging basket care.

Related Resources: 
Hanging Baskets and Window Boxes
Greenhouse Production of Flowering Hanging Baskets
Hanging Baskets

June 13, 2020

Nutsedge

Nutsedge can be considered the world’s worst weed. UT Extension Agent Chris Cooper talks about how it grows with tubers and nutlets, which makes it hard to remove. He also talks about chemicals that can kill it.

Related Videos:
How do I get rid of nutsedge?
TWIG–Controlling Yellow Nutsedge

Related Resources:
Nutsedge
Yellow Nutsedge Control

June 20, 2020

Hand Pruner Care

After pruning you should oil, clean, disinfect, and sharpen your pruners. University of Memphis Director of Landscape Joellen Dimond shows how to do this. She uses a bleach solution that is one part bleach to 10 parts water. Then then shows how to sharpen the pruners with a file. They should be sharp enough to cut paper.

Related Video:
How to Prune Shrubs

Related Resources:
How to Clean and Sharpen Your Pruners

June 27, 2020

Pesticides Can Cause Plant Sunburn

Be careful when you spray pesticides. They can cause phototoxicity, which means your plant will get sunburn. UT Extension Agent Chris Cooper explains that applying some pesticides in direct sunlight or when the temperatures are high may cause this problem. Always read and follow pesticide label directions to avoid these problems.

Related Videos:
Pesticide Lifespan and Storage
Pesticide Modes of Action

Related Resources:
Pesticide Burn (Phytotoxicity)
Phytotoxicity

July 4, 2020

Ladybugs Rescuing Us from Aphids

The tomato plants in the Family Plot garden are infested with aphids. This could be a huge problem, but on closer inspection, ladybugs are working on controlling the problem. UT Extension Agent Chris Cooper was able to easily find every stage of the ladybug lifecycle on the plants: larvae, adult, and egg. They are happily munching on aphids and getting them under control. If you have an aphid problem, wait, don’t spray insecticides. The beneficial insects are not far behind.

Related Videos:
Beneficial Garden Bugs
How do I control aphids on my greens?
Aphids on Milkweed

Related Resources:
Beneficial Insects, Spiders, and Other Mini Creatures in Your Garden
Beneficial Insects in the Yard and Garden
Beneficial Insects and other Arthropods

July 11, 2020

Tomato Early Blight

Early blight is a disease that people see every year on tomatoes. UT Assistant Professor of Residential and Consumer Horticulture Natalie Bumgarner shows some tomato leaves that have early blight and gives recommendations for control. If there are only a few spots you can just remove the affected leaves. You can also spray with conventional and organic fungicides.

Related Videos:
Stopping Tomato Blight
Growing Tomatoes

Related Resources:
Early Blight of Tomatoes
Early Blight of Tomato

July 18, 2020

When to Harvest Green Beans

You should harvest green beans at the optimum time, so they are large, but still tender. UT Extension Agent Booker T. Leigh shows beans that are both too small and too large as well as a bean that is at the correct size to pick.

Related Videos:
Canning Green Beans
What is eating holes in my green bean leaves?

Related Resources:
Home Garden Green Beans
Beans

August 1, 2020

Inexpensive Zoysia Lawn

UT Extension Agent Booker T. Leigh shows how zoysia grass can spread and displace Bermuda grass in a lawn. This means you can place only a few pieces of zoysia sod in your Bermuda lawn and in a few years, have a zoysia yard. No need to kill the Bermuda and lay sod over the whole lawn, you just have to be patient.

Related Videos: 
Turf Grass Varieties
Killing Grass

Related Resources: 
Zoysiagrass
Establishment and Care of Zoysiagrass Lawns

August 8, 2020

Gardening Summer Heat Tips

UT Extension Agent Chris Cooper gives some safety tips for working on the garden in the heat of summer. He suggests to wear a hat and sunscreen, and drink lots of water. He also shows a way to help keep cool while in the garden.

Related Videos: 
Planting Summer Flowers
Summer Lawn Watering

Related Resources: 
Hot weather tips keep gardeners safe at work
Do’s and don’ts for hot weather gardening

August 22, 2020

Kyllinga

Kyllinga is a sedge and can quickly invade a home lawn or flower bed. UT Extension Agent Chris Cooper shows how to identify it. He also talks about how to control kyllinga chemically with Image (chemical name: imazaquin). If it is close to desirable plants that are not listed on the chemical label you will have to pull it by hand. Kyllinga does have a shallow root system that is easy to pull.

Related Videos:
Cultural Lawn Weed Control
Controlling Weeds

Related Resources:
Green Kyllinga
Green Kyllinga

August 29, 2020

Nostoc

Nostoc is a cyanobacteria that grows on bare ground. It is moist and spongy when hydrated and crispy when dry. UT Extension Agent Chris Cooper talks about how to remove it from your yard and keep it from coming back.

Related Video: 
What is this slime growing on my gravel driveway?

Related Resources: 
Nostoc
Nostoc: A green, jelly-like substance growing in lawns

September 5, 2020

Blackberry Cane Dieback

In summer and fall some blackberry canes will die. UT Extension Agent Chris Cooper says this is part of the normal lifecycle of the plant and is nothing to be worried about. New canes will grow from the base to replace them. Blackberry canes live two years.

Related Videos: 
Planting Blackberries
Blackberry Pruning and Fertilizing
Building a Blackberry Trellis

Related Resources:
 
Blackberries and Raspberries in Home Gardens
Blackberry
Blackberries for the Home Garden

September 12, 2020

Bacterial Leaf Scorch

Bacterial leaf scorch can be a major problem in some species of trees. Certified Arborist Wes Hopper says this disease is spread by leafhoppers and especially affects sycamore, elm, and oak trees. The bacteria will move from the leaf into the limbs of the tree and the tree will brown and die back. Wes talks about ways to reduce disease pressure and some things you can do, and an arborist can do, to help the tree.

Related Video: 
TWIG Bacterial Leaf Spot

Related Resources: 
Bacterial Leaf Scorch - Trees
Bacterial Leaf Scorch

September 19, 2020

Bacterial Wilt on Peppers

Bacterial wilt can destroy a healthy garden plant. UT Extension Agent Chris Cooper shows a pepper plant that is suffering from bacterial wilt. A few weeks ago it was healthy, but due to poor drainage it is wilted and dying. Unfortunately, there is nothing you can do to save the plant, it will die. Next season improve the drainage and do not overwater.

Related Video: 
Bacterial Leaf Spot
Peppers
Nutrient-Deficient Pepper Fix
Black Spot on Peppers

Related Resources: 
Bacterial Wilt
Bacterial Wilt : The "Second Hand" Wilt Effect

September 26, 2020

Killing Poison Ivy

This week in the Garden UT Extension Agent Chris Cooper talks about how to kill poison ivy. Poison ivy contains  an oil called urushiol which will irritate your skin. To kill it: while wearing long sleeved clothing and gloves cut the vine just above the ground and apply glyphosate concentrate to the wound.

Related Resources:
Poison Ivy
Poison Ivy Weed Management

October 3, 2020

Lichen on Trees

Lichen often grows on the trunk of a tree. Certified Arborist Wes Hopper says lichen will not kill the tree but is often a sign of other problems. The tree he is inspecting is in a poor site in a parking lot island and is probably not getting the water or nutrients it needs.

Related Videos:
Help Lichen is killing my tree
What can I do to keep lichen from growing on my azaleas?

Related Resources:
Lichens are harmless to trees
Do not bother removing lichens from landscape

October 10, 2020

Effects of High Wind on Small Trees

High winds can damage small trees by bending them too far. Certified Arborist Wes Hopper examines a small golden rain tree. At first, he notices a dead limb and on further inspection he finds wounds and bark cracking on the trunk from the ground up to the dead limb. These wounds are from strong winds which bent the tree farther than the wood could support. Wes shows some of the ways the tree is trying to compensate for the damage. Wes also gives recommendations for helping the tree recover.

Related Videos:
Planting a Tree
Tree Staking Options

Related Resources:
First Aid for Storm-Damaged Trees
Repairing Storm Damaged Trees

October 17, 2020

Getting Strawberries Ready for Winter

Getting strawberries ready for winter will help them survive the cold weather and get growing in the spring.  Master Gardener Tom Mashour shows how to clean up a strawberry bed in the fall and tells how to fertilize in the spring.

Related Videos:
Planting Strawberries
Moving and Renovating Strawberries

Related Resources:
Growing Strawberries
Growing strawberries in the home garden

October 24, 2020

Goldenrod

Goldenrod is in the Solidago family and blooms in the fall with many small bright yellow flowers. University of Memphis Director of Landscape Joellen Dimond says it is a great fall wildflower that provides food for pollinating insects as the weather starts to turn colder. Joellen also talks about how to identify goldenrod. Goldenrod is often blamed for fall allergies because it blooms at the same time as ragweed.

Related Video:
Aster

Related Resources:
Solidago
Goldenrod & Ragweed

October 31, 2020

Ladybug Larva

UT Extension Agent Chris Cooper identifies the larva of the lady bug. It can easily be mistaken for a harmful insect but should be left alone because it is a beneficial.

Related Videos:
What are these small black and orange worm-like things on my Autumn Blaze maple?
Ladybugs Rescuing Us from Aphids – Garden Notes

Related Resources:
Multicolored Asian Lady Beetle
Predators: Lady Bird Beetles

November 7, 2020

Volunteer Plants

UT Assistant Professor of Residential and Consumer Horticulture, Natalie Bumgarner, shows a volunteer gourd growing in the Family Plot garden and talks about the genetics of volunteer plants.

Related Videos:
Squash
How do I get female flowers on my zucchini plant?

Related Resources:
Gourds
Gourd Production in Kentucky

November 14, 2020

Late Fall Flowers

Autumn joy sedum and asters are some of the last flowers to bloom in the fall. University of Memphis Director of Landscape Joellen Dimond says that not only are they beautiful, but they also provide food for pollinators right before winter.

Related Videos:
Aster
What is this plant? A – Sedum

Related Resources:
Sedum x ‘Autumn Joy’‘Autumn Joy’ Sedum
Asters
Growing Fall Asters

November 21, 2020

Virginia Creeper

Virginia creeper is a native perennial woody vine. UT Extension Agent Chris Cooper says it is often confused with poison ivy. The way to tell the difference is that Virginia creeper has five leaflets, poison ivy has three. Virginia creeper has adhesive discs on its tendrils that allow it to climb almost any surface. It grows in full sun and full shade. If you need to get rid of it, you don’t need to use chemicals. Just cut it off at the surface with pruners, a lawn mower, or weed eater. You may need to cut it many times to kill the plant.

Related Videos:
Q&A - What is this vine that is killing my tree
Q&A – Are these vines harmful to my tree?

Related Resources:
Virginia Creeper
Parthenocissus quinquefolia

November 28, 2020

Kinds of Fertilizer

This week in the garden Master Gardener Tom Mashour talks about fertilizer. He talks about which fertilizer to use on which vegetable. Leafy greens require a high nitrogen content fertilizer while root crops require more phosphorus and potassium.

Related Videos:
Fertilizer Basics
Garden Fertilizer Math

Related Resources:
Fertilizers
Fertilizing Your Vegetable Garden
Steps in Fertilizing Your Garden: Vegetables and Annual Flowers

December 5, 202

    • Rhizome

Horticulture expert Dr. Lelia Kelly defines the gardening term "Rhizome". A rhizome is a botanical term referring to a modified stem growing underground, it is not a root. From it roots or shoots grow. It is an underground stem.

Related Videos:
G - Garden Glossary
QA Iris Rhizomes Mush

Related Resources:
Plant of the Week: Rhizomes
Bulbs, Corms, Rhizomes and Tubers

December 12, 202

    • Beneficial Bugs, Soldier Bug

Garden expert Tonya Ashworth talks about soldier bugs. Soldier bugs eat many harmful insects including corn borer, corn earworm, gypsy moth caterpillar, cabbage looper, flea beetle, Colorado potato beetle, fall armyworm, and Mexican bean beetle. The adult and four out of five nymph stages are predacious. They feed by piercing their prey and sucking out the juices.

Related Videos:
Beneficial Garden Bugs
Ladybugs Rescuing Us from Aphids – Garden Notes

Related Resources:
Spined Soldier Bug
Spined Soldier Bug

December 19, 2020

Genus and Species

Horticulture expert Dr. Lelia Kelly defines the garden terms genus and species. This is what is called the binomial nomenclature or two names (one genus and the other species) that describe the type of plant. When a plant is botanically classified it is categorized in increasingly specific groups. The most specific group is the genus. Within the genus are the individual species of plants. Often we use the genus name as the common name of the plant (Magnolia is the genus name).

Related Videos:
E - Garden Glossary
F - Garden Glossary

Related Resources:
How Plants Are Named
What’s That Plant? Why Names Matter!

December 26, 2020
2021 Garden Notes         2022 Garden Notes     2023 Garden Notes
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  • Home
  • Watch
    • TV Schedule
    • Full Episodes Online
    • How-to and Informational
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    • Garden Notes
  • Garden Topic Collections
    • Apple Trees: How-to and Information
    • Peach Trees: How-to and Information
    • Tomatoes: How-to and Information
    • Square Foot Garden Blog
  • Resources
    • Soil Testing
    • Extension Publications
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    • Articles
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