How-to and Informational
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Growing Blueberries: The Best Variety for Where You Live
Blueberries are a popular and easy-to-grow fruit crop that can be successfully grown in most of the United States and southern Canada, provided the right variety is selected for the local climate. Also, soil preparation is key to establishing a productive planting.
Related Videos: Planting Blueberries Blueberry pH Problems Preparing Blueberry Plants for Winter Killing Grass Around Blueberries Related Resources: Blueberries in Home Gardens Blueberries for home landscapes Site Selection and Preparation |
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Growing Cucumber
Master Gardener Tom Mashour talks about cucumbers. There are many varieties of cucumbers. The major divisions are light and dark skin cucumbers. Dark skin cucumbers often get bitter in the summer because of uneven soil moisture. Cucumbers are not a demanding plant. You can start the seeds in the ground or, like Tom, start them indoors and transplant them outside. Cucumbers like to run so a trellis for them to climb leaves more garden space for other plants.
Related Videos: Training Cucumbers: String and Trellis – Family Plot When to Pick Cucumbers Cleaning out the Cucumber Bed Related Resources: Cucumber Cucumber Production Cucumbers |
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Creating Interest in Garden Beds Through Plant Grouping
When designing garden beds—especially in smaller front-yard spaces—how plants are arranged can significantly impact the overall look and feel of the landscape. A common approach is to plant a single type of shrub or flower in a straight line, which can create boring and repetitive look. Instead, grouping a variety of plants in staggered or triangular patterns can help add visual interest and dimension to a space.
Related Videos: Landscape Planning Designing a New Landscape Landscaping Principles Related Resources: Principles of Landscape Design Basic Principles of Landscape Design |
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Voles
Voles, or field mice, can be very destructive. There are 23 species of voles in the United States and they can be identified by a shorter tail then house mice. They like to eat roots and can cause damage to ornamentals and trees. They can kill trees by eating the bark of the tree near the ground which girdles the tree. Control is best achieved by rodenticides like zinc phosphide and anticoagulants. These baits can also affect non-target species and pets and children so care should be used. Voles reproduce quickly having 1-5 litters per year in the wild. Each litter usually 3-6 voles. Because of this their population can increase quickly. Natural predators are not effective at controlling voles because of their reproduction speed.
The publication Mike referred to is "Voles" in Prevention and Control of Wildlife Damage Related Videos: Catch That Critter - How to Set Up a Havahart Live Animal Trap Fences to Keep the Critters Out of the Garden Related Resources: Voles Controlling Voles in Horticulture Plantings and Orchards in Missouri Voles |
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Planting Colocasia, Coleus, Angelonia, and Begonias
Spring is the time to plant summer annuals. Last fall we planted Swiss chard, dianthus and pansies. We will be removing all of these plants, but we will be transplanting the dianthus and Swiss chard to other places. Both will continue to grow through the summer. Continue reading the Article.
Related Videos: Begonias and Full Sun Annual Flowers for Full Sun, Part-Shade, or Shade Saving Colocasia (Elephant Ears) for Next Year Related Resources: Angelonia angustifolia Begonia Coleus |
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Landscaping Principles
UT Horticultural Specialist Carol Reese talks about planning landscaping to benefit the user. She talks about foundation plantings and how they condemn an owner to a life of pruning. She also talks about landscape rooms and planning areas based on how they will be used.
Related Videos: Low Maintenance Landscape Plants Landscape Plants to Avoid and What to Use Instead Landscape Planning Designing a New Landscape Related Resources: Common Landscape Mistakes and How To Avoid Them Homeowner Garden Design Series: Elements and Principles of Design |
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Dirt Simple Cane Begonia Propagation
Cane begonias have tall, bamboo-like stems. With varieties such as "Down Home" and "Sophie Cecile," these plants offer a beautiful, easy-to-care-for addition to any home or garden. Cane begonias are not only visually appealing but also very simple to propagate. Continuing reading the article.
Related Videos: Propagating Begonias with Leaf Cuttings 13 Popular Tropical Houseplants Propagating Sweet Potato Vines Propagating Milkweed Propagating Ferns from Spores Propagating Carolina Bushpea Using Scarification Related Resources: A Beginner’s Guide to Begonias: Vegetative Propagation Vegetative Propagation: American Begonia Society |
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Propagating Begonias with Leaf Cuttings
To propagate begonias from leaf cuttings, you will need a sharp pair of scissors, a pot filled with soil, and a healthy leaf from a plant. After cutting the leaf from the mother plant, cut the stem about an inch below the leaf, then press the stem (and leaf) into the soil until the leaf touches the surface. This contact between the leaf and soil encourages the development of roots and a new leaf system. Continuing reading the article.
Related Videos: Dirt Simple Cane Begonia Propagation 13 Popular Tropical Houseplants Propagating Sweet Potato Vines Propagating Milkweed Propagating Ferns from Spores Propagating Carolina Bushpea Using Scarification Related Resources: A Beginner’s Guide to Begonias: Vegetative Propagation Vegetative Propagation: American Begonia Society |
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13 Popular Tropical Houseplants
Houseplants bring a touch of nature into our homes, and tropical plants are among the best choices for indoor spaces. They thrive in warm, humid conditions, like out homes. There is a vast array of tropical plants that can brighten any room. Here’s a look at some popular and beautiful tropical houseplants that you can add to your indoor space.
Related Videos: Repotting Grocery Store Orchids Interesting Houseplant Options Caring for Bromeliads: A Beginner’s Guide Propagating Ferns from Spores Building a Self-Watering Houseplant Pot Houseplant Potting Soils Repotting Houseplants Related Resources: Tips on caring for tropical houseplants Moving Indoor Plants Outside for the Summer |
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Tomato Varieties, Planting Tips, and Common Pests
Tomatoes are a garden favorite, offering a variety of flavors, colors, and sizes. Whether you're growing them for fresh use, canning, or just for fun, there are numerous types to explore, as well as techniques to ensure they thrive in your garden.
Click here to read on, learn more and find links to our extensive catalog of tomato videos. Garden Fertilizer Math Related Videos: Splitting Tomatoes Tomato Hornworms Tomato Spraying Schedules Tomato Pests Aphids on Tomatoes Determinate vs. Indeterminate Tomatoes 30 Unusual and Tasty Tomatoes to Try in Your Garden Tomato Cages Summer Tomato Tips |
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Testing Home-Based Soil Test Kits
Soil testing is an important part of gardening and lawn care, as it helps determine the nutrients available to your plants. A soil test reveals information about your soil's pH, potassium, phosphorus, and other essential nutrients. By understanding the results of your soil test, you can avoid the guesswork and provide the right amount of fertilizer, to give your plants the nutrients they need.
State Extension Soil Testing information can found on this page. Related Videos: Soil Testing What is Soil pH and why is it so Important? Taking a Soil Sample Related Resources: Soil Testing Understanding Soil pH |
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Guide to Rose Bush Pruning
Pruning roses helps maintain healthy, vibrant plants. It creates better air circulation, reduces the risk of disease, and encourages strong, beautiful blooms. Rose expert Bill Dickerson has spent years pruning roses and shares some of what he has learned. Continue reading here.
Related Videos: Deadheading Roses Basic Rose Care Related Resources: Pruning Roses A Quick Guide to Pruning Roses Growing Roses |
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Growing 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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Understanding Fertilizer Calculations for the Lawn and Garden
Fertilizing your lawn or garden may seem like a daunting task, especially when the math involved is brought up. Fertilizer calculations are simpler than they seem, and understanding them can lead to better results for your plants while avoiding excess costs. Continue reading here.
Related Videos: Fertilizer Blends Fertilizer Basics Garden Fertilizer Math Kinds of Fertilizer How to Calibrate Your Fertilizer Spreader Related Resources: Perennials with Winter Interest Plants can add winter interest to your landscape |
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Tools Every Gardener Needs
TSU Extension Agent Joellen Dimond shows the tools that every gardener needs and that she uses regularly. There are many specialized tools available but Joellen uses basic garden tools available in most garden stores. The tools include: hand pruners, gloves, loppers, pruning saw, hand cultivator, trowel, garden fork, morrow hoe, small and large shovel, leaf and garden rake, and a broom. She talks about how she uses each tool. If she had to pick only one tool she would take her hand pruners.
Related Videos: Tools for Pruning Trees Getting Tools Ready for Winter Related Resources: Maintaining Lawn and Garden Tools Hand Tools Safety |
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Planting Garden Vines
Vines can be useful as a screen or accent in the garden. There are many choices of vines including evergreen and flowering vines. Tipton County Extension Agent Joellen Dimond talks about planting vines. She chose some vines that will bloom as much as possible during the summer: a native red trumpet honeysuckle and a purple flowering clematis. These flowers will attract bees and butterflies that will help pollinate the garden.
Vines need to be treated like other perennials. The place where we want to grow the vines tends to stay wet after rain so Joellen plants the vines slightly higher than the soil surface. The planting hole should be the same depth as the soil in the pot but twice as wide. Joellen mixes some potting soil with the native soil to add some pore space to the existing soil. She then plants the vine. She fertilizes with a slow release fertilizer and mulches with one inch of hardwood mulch. The vine will need to be trained to grow toward the fence by sticking its branches through the holes on the fence. Related Videos: Planting Blackberries Planting Strawberries Planting Blueberries Related Resources: Vines Selecting Landscape Plants: Ornamental Vines Lonicera sempervirens Trumpet Honeysuckle Clematis |
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Systemic Insecticides
The use of systemic insecticides makes it so you don’t have to apply insecticide sprays many times throughout the year. Retired UT Extension Agent Mike Dennison explains systemic insecticides. Systemic insecticides work by having the plant absorb the insecticide through the roots. The chemical then travels through the plant to the stems and leaves and will kill insects that feed on the sap of the plant.
Systemics are very soluble in water to allow them to be taken up by easily by the plants. They are available in liquid and granular form. They should be applied according to label directions around the base of the plant to be treated. Systemics can effectively control insects for up to a year after application. Systemic insecticides should not be used on plants that grow food because the insecticide will be in the food. Common systemic insecticides available to the homeowner (and brand names) include: Imidacloprid (Merit, Bayer Advanced Tree & Shrub), Acephate (Orthene), Dinotefuran (Safari). Related Videos: Applying Insecticides to Prevent Squash Vine Borer Horticultural Oils Related Resources: Armored Scale Insects & Control What is a systemic insecticide? An Introduction to Integrated Pest Management of Landscapes |
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Squash Pests
Every spring there are insects just waiting to attack your squash plants. UT Extension Entomologist Dr. Frank Hale talks about the most common pests of squash.
Cucumber beetles feed on the leaves of squash. They can skeletonize the leaves. Frank recommends using floating row covers to keep the bugs off the plants for as long as possible. Adult squash bugs overwinter in debris around the garden and find and lay eggs on squash in the spring. He recommends laying down boards around your garden in the fall. In the early spring lift them up and you will find the squash bugs hiding underneath; just dispose of them. Squash bug adults will lay small groups of bronze colored eggs which hatch into nymphs which grow to adults. You can crush or remove the eggs to help control them. Another squash pest is the squash vine borer. It is the larva of a clearwing moth. The adult lays eggs on the stem of the plant and the larvae burrow into the vine stalk to feed. This kills the plant. Frank recommends using floating row covers to keep these insects away from the plants for as long as possible. You will eventually need to take them off because the bees need to have access to the flowers to pollinate them. If you want to use insecticides, he suggests using imidacloprid. This will kill the insects feeding on the plant but not the insects that land on the plant. Related Videos: Organic Control of Squash Bugs Squash Vine Borer Related Resources: Squash Bugs and Squash Vine Borer Cucumber, Squash, Melon and Other Cucurbit Insects and Pests |
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Lily
Lilies can add a pop of color and beautiful flowers to the garden. TSU Extension Agent Joellen Dimond talks about the different kinds and basic lily care. USDA zone 7 is a great area for lilies to grow in the ground.
Asiatic lilies come in many colors and sizes and are often used as cut flowers. Joellen recommends removing the pollen from the flower when bringing it inside because it can stain. Joellen talks about several kind of lilies including the Madonna lily, Formosa lily, tiger lily, Easter lily, royal lily, and Oriental lily. Lilies like full sun or partly shady areas with well drained soil. They do not do well in wet soil. If you are having disease problems make sure they are well drained and have some space between plants to allow air circulation. Lilies are bulbs but don’t have a papery cover on them like other bulbs, so they can dry out easily. You should plant the bulbs as soon as you can and keep them moist. Lilies have a pest, the red lily beetle. It lives its entire lifecycle on the lily. The most effective control is neem oil on the nymph stage. Voles also like to eat lilies. To avoid this, you can plant them in pots or inside a cage in the ground. Related Videos: Daylily Basics Pineapple Lily Related Resources: Selecting Lilies for Your Garden Production of Hybrid Lilies as Potted Plants |
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Reading Seed Catalogs
Seed Catalogs provide a dizzying array of options of seeds and plants. Retired MSU Horticulture Specialist Dr. Lelia Kelly talks about how to read the wealth of information provided in seed catalogs. Catalogs provide information about each variety including optimal growing conditions, disease resistance, days to harvest and what the plant looks like when it is mature. Lelia also talks about catalogs versus nurseries and how to take advantage of both when choosing plants for your garden.
Related Videos: Seeds or Transplants Starting Seeds Indoors Related Resources: Understanding Your Seed Catalog Seed For The Garden |
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Grapes and Muscadines
Retired UT Extension Agent Mike Dennison gives the basics of growing grapes. There are two main types of grapes: bunch grapes and muscadines. The best time to plant or prune grapes is in the early spring, not the fall. Mike talks about muscadines. Muscadines are native to the south-eastern United States and do well in the climate. He gives the names of some cultivars that do well. Some muscadines require pollinator plants. Mike also talks about the bunch type grapes that are used for wine and table eating. All bunch grapes are self-fruitful, they don’t need a pollinator. Mike gives plant spacing information for muscadines and bunch grapes. He also talks about how to prune grapes. Fruit grows on new season’s growth coming from one-year-old wood. He talks about trellising options. He then talks about common grape diseases including black rot and Pierce's disease. Insects and animals are not a major problem in grapes.
The publications Mike referred to: Grape Growing in Tennessee So You Want to Grow Grapes in Tennessee Tree Fruit and Small Fruit Cultivars for Tennessee Related Videos: Planting Blueberries Planting Blackberries How do you prune grape vines? Related Resources: Muscadine Grape Bunch Grapes |
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Garden Crafts For Kids
Mississippi State University Extension Horticulture Specialist Dr. Lelia Kelly talks about fun gardening activities and crafts to do with kids. First up is pressing and drying flowers or other plant parts. With some newspaper and a heavy book kids can press flowers to use in everything from wall hangings to bookmarks. With old newspaper and a plastic cup you can make your own pots to plant seeds in. Making wildflower seed balls is something else that children enjoy doing. Put seeds in mud, roll into a ball and let dry. Kids can then throw or scatter the balls and see flowers come up the next. Also, kids can decorate or shape their mud balls into something fun. Finally, she talks about how to make a plant creature from pantyhose, dirt, and grass seed. Kids get to make, decorate, and take care of their creation. Nature scavenger hunts are also fun. Make a list of things to find with items on it like ‘something smelly’ or ‘something fuzzy.’
Related Videos: Fall Pumpkin Display Build a Holiday Evergreen Display Related Resources: Drying and Preserving Flowers and Plant Materials for Decorative Use Seed Balls Have It All Environmental games and activities: Scavenger hunts |
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Garden Safety
Retired UT Extension Agent Mike Dennison talks about staying safe in the garden. In the middle of the summer the sun and heat can be dangerous. Mike works outside every day. He wears long sleeves, a hat, and gloves. He also makes sure he stays hydrated by drinking plenty of water. Insects can be a problem in the summer so wear insect repellent. Often garden tools are sharp so you must be careful when using and sharpening them. Mike does not recommend pruning trees with a ladder. He keeps his fruit trees short so he can work them from the ground. Pesticides can also be dangerous. They should be stored in the container they came in and should be stored away from children and pets.
The publication Mike referred to is "Gardening Health and Safety Tips" Related Videos: Tools Every Gardener Needs Pesticide Lifespan and Storage Related Resources: Working Outdoors in the Heat Stinging and Biting Pests Sharpening Your Garden Tools |
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Basic Ikebana Flower Arranging
Master Gardener Mary Heim shows how to make a basic ikebana flower arrangement. Ikebana was developed in Japan over many centuries. It is minimalist by western flower arranging standards often only including three flowers. This arrangement is in the Moribana style. Moribana ikebana requires a container (Mary is using a shallow round container), a kenzan (a disk of prongs to hold the flower stems), a mat, and a few small stones. For this arrangement Mary uses three hydrangeas and three leaves. The flowers are arranged in a triangle with the largest on the bottom. Mary then adds the leaves between each flower. None of the flowers or leaves touch. While she is working, Mary explains how to place each piece to create a simple elegant arrangement. When she is done she places the container on a mat.
Related Videos: Ikebana in a Vase Arranging Grocery Store Flowers Related Resource: Ikebana |
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Lawn Weed Killer Application
Retired UT Extension Agent Mike Dennison reviews some options for applying weed killer on lawns. Weed killer must be applied evenly based on the label directions. Mike reviews several spreading options including hose-end sprayers, rotary spreaders for granular herbicides, and sprayers. His favorite method is to use a sprayer. He shows how to calibrate the sprayer and also how to calculate how much chemical you need to add to the tank.
Related Videos: Cultural Lawn Weed Control How to Calibrate Your Fertilizer Spreader Turf Grass Varieties Related Resources: Proper Herbicide Application Weed Control in Home Lawns Controlling Weeds in Home Lawns |
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Plant Superstitions
Through history, plants have been part of superstitions. Retired MSU Extension Agent Dr. Lelia Kelly talks about some of the superstitions and also some plant-based causes of “supernatural” events. Everyone knows that garlic will keep vampires away but in the Middle Ages people also used fennel seed to ward off evil. Another superstition is that you can use a sprig of basil to tell if your romantic interest is worthy and pure. Potatoes were brought back to Europe from America, but people thought they were the devil’s food because they grew underground.
Related Videos: Potatoes Garlic |
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Fall Garden Clean-up
Retired UT Extension Agent Mike Dennison says that the first thing that you need to do when the gardening season is over is get rid of any diseased plants. They should be thrown in the trash, not composted. You can and should compost the healthy plants. If the plants are small enough in your garden, you can run over them with a mulching lawnmower and leave them to get tilled in next spring. Composting or leaving the plants in the garden helps reduce the need for fertilizer next year. Remove all the stakes, plastic mulch and other items that will not break down over the winter. You can plant a cover crop for your garden to help improve the soil over the winter.
Related Videos: Disinfecting and Cleaning Garden Tools Getting Fruit Trees Ready for Winter Soil Testing Related Resources: Fall cleanup: Key to reducing risk for next year's plant diseases Fall cleanup in vegetable gardens Cover Crops for Home Gardens |
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How to Cut Down a Tree
Sometimes trees die and need to be removed. Certified Arborist Wes Hopper shows how to safely fell a tree with a chainsaw. The tree is standing straight, and he uses a rope and an assistant to make sure it falls the way he wants it too. He also talks about how he makes a notch and a back cut to drop the tree exactly where he wants it.
Related Videos: Chainsaw Safety Which Way Will the Tree Fall? Related Resources: Safe and Effective Use of Chain Saws for Woodland Owners Chainsaw Safety |
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Ornamental Grasses
Ornamental grasses bring a different texture, sound, and movement to the garden. University of Memphis Director of Landscape Joellen Dimond talks about the uses, kinds, and care of ornamental grasses. Ornamental grasses include grasses, sedges, rushes, millets, rices, oats and cattails.
Joellen talks about some of her favorite grasses including Mexican feathergrass, carex, miscanthus, pennisetum, Panicum. Ornamental grasses are easy to care for. Each variety likes certain conditions and should be planted in those conditions. If there are not planted in the right place, they will not thrive and may succumb to disease. If they are planted in the right place, they require little maintenance or fertilizer. They can be planted any time the ground is not frozen. If the grass goes dormant for the winter, it needs to be cut back mid- to late-winter before the leaves fall apart and blow all over your yard. Joellen also talks about how to rejuvenate your grass. Related Videos: Grass Lawn Alternatives Spirea Related Resources: Ornamental Grasses Ornamental Grasses and Grass-like Plants Ornamental Grasses in the Landscape |
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Chainsaw Safety
A chainsaw is the most dangerous hand tool sold in the store. Certified Arborist Wes Hopper talks about basic chainsaw safety and reviews some safety equipment to use when cutting. Wes reviews some chainsaws. Older saws do not have critical safety features like chain brakes. He also shows important safety equipment like a hard hat, safety glasses, chaps, and a first aid kit. He also talks about things you can do to keep yourself safe.
Related Videos: Garden Safety Tools for Pruning Trees Cutting a Tree Branch Related Resources: Chainsaw Safety Tips Chainsaw Safety |
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Boxwood
Boxwoods are very common shrubs in the landscape. University of Memphis Director of Landscape Joellen Dimond gives all the details. Boxwood are evergreen, and they have small leaves so they are considered a fine textured plant. Boxwood do flower in the spring and although the flowers may not be obvious, some are fragrant.
Boxwood like well-drained soil and even moisture, and once established can tolerate dry conditions. If the roots are kept too wet they will become diseased or attract harmful insects, and Joellen lists some of them. The insects are easy to take care of if boxwood get them. Boxwood are shallow rooted and like to have undisturbed root systems, plant them where you won’t be regularly digging. There are a few major types of boxwood. Microphylla boxwood include the Korean, little leaf, and Japanese boxwoods. They are more cold hardy. They prefer zone 6 and 7 but will live in zones 4 to 9. They get about 3-4 feet around. Sempervirens boxwood more commonly called common box or English boxwood, can grow to 20 feet tall. Sempervirens also includes the dwarf boxwoods. Joellen then talks about some of the history and historical uses of the boxwood. Related Videos: Boxwood When is the best time of year to prune boxwood? How do I do it? Related Resources: Boxwood Boxwood Culture and Diseases - Including Boxwood Blight Pruning Boxwoods |
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Spring Blooming Bulbs
Spring bulbs, especially tulips are some of the first flowers of spring. University of Memphis Director of Landscape Joellen Dimond talks about how to choose and care for bulbs. Bulbs need the cold of winter to trigger root growth and also plant and flower growth when it warms up in spring. Joellen talks about options for keeping deer and rodents from eating your bulbs. She also lists some bulbs they won’t eat. Where you live influences what bulbs you can grow and what you have to do to get the bulbs to bloom. Joellen goes through all the USDA zones from 3-10 and gives instructions for success in each. She also shows how to force a bulb, or make it bloom out of season.
Related Videos: Keep Voles at Bay: Building Wire Cages to Protect Your Plants How to Plant Flower Bulbs Planting Pansies and Tulips for Winter and Spring Color Related Resources: Flowering Bulbs for Tennessee Gardens Spring Flowering Bulbs Fall Planted Bulbs and Corms |
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Attracting Winter Birds
Debbie Bruce from Wild Birds Unlimited talks about how to attract winter birds to your yard. There are some birds that stay in the area for the winter but there will also be many birds that have traveled south to your area for the winter. You can attract birds with feeders and birdbaths. Birds like clean bird feeders. In feeders, you can provide loose seed or compressed seed cylinders. You can also provide suit which is rendered fat. Suit is not found in nature so the birds will need help discovering the suit, frost it with peanut butter and put some seeds on it. Cut up apples will attract several colorful species of birds. Water is important for birds in the winter. Birds need it to drink and wash. When the weather is cold and most water frozen, birds will frequent a bird bath that is not frozen. A bird bath deicer will keep it liquid when the temperature drops. Birds also like to have shelter close to the feeder to protect against hawks. Staking your old Christmas tree close to a feeder will provide shelter to the birds while they are waiting for their turn to eat.
Related Videos: Birdhouses Attracting Purple Martins Related Resources: Winter Bird Feeding: The Basics Winter Bird Feeding Remember the Birds in Winter |
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Plants with Multi-Season Interest: Beauty Year-Round
When planning a garden or landscape, you can select plants that offer beauty throughout the year. Plants with multi-season interest provide not only year-round color but also texture, fragrance, and form that evolve with the changing seasons. Here are ten fantastic options, chosen for their year-around beauty.
Related Videos: Best Trees for Fall Color Spring-Blooming Deciduous Magnolias Related Resources: Perennials with Winter Interest Plants can add winter interest to your landscape |
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Basic Pond Maintenance
Ponds require different levels of maintenance depending on what you want to do with it. First and foremost, Retired UT Extension Agent Mike Dennison says to not blow leaves and yard waste into the pond as this will reduce the oxygen level of the water affecting the algae eaten by the fish. There are several kinds of weeds in a pond. Spring is the best time to try to control them. Mike talks about the different kinds of weeds you will find and where they grow. If you are serious about growing fish, you may need to get a soil test on the mud at the bottom of your pond and lime and/or fertilize your pond to encourage algae growth for your fish to eat. If you just want the pond for looks keep it mowed around the edge to discourage snakes and use mosquito fish and Bti (Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis) to reduce mosquito larvae populations.
The publication Mike referred to is available here: Managing Small Fishing Ponds and Lakes in Tennessee Related Video: How do I stop weeds taking over my pond? Fish for Water Features Related Resources: Pond Management Water Gardens and Ornamental Ponds Pond Management Guide |
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Protecting Shrubs and Perennials from Winter Cold
Winter is approaching. Understanding how to care for your perennial plants during the colder months can help them weather the cold. Here are some key strategies to help your garden thrive through winter.
Related Videos: Digging Up Flowers to Keep Over the Winter chip Laurel Winter Damage Severe Winter Plant Damage and What to Do About It Related Resources: How to Protect Plants from Frost and Freeze Eight tips to gear up the garden for cold weather |
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Introduction to Farm Goats
Raising goats can add a whole new dimension to your family garden. Jeff Terry, Farm Operations Manager at Bobby Lanier Farm Park in Germantown, Tennessee, talks about the basics of raising goats. Jeff talks about some of the features of goats including their eyes, teeth, and stomachs. He also talks about the breeds he has: Lamancha and Nigerian Dwarf. He describes what they eat and the shelter he uses. Jeff talks about goat milk and meat.
Related Videos: Chickens Fish for Water Features Related Resources: Penn State Extension: Goats Breeds of Livestock - Goat Breeds |
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Spring Flowering Shrubs
There are many Spring blooming shrubs. University of Memphis Director of Landscape Joellen Dimond talks about camellia, forsythia, flowering quince, fothergilla, spirea, weigela, viburnum, azalea and rhododendron, lilac, ninebark, and deutzia. Most are deciduous, but there are some evergreen shrubs on the list. Some of these shrubs bloom very early and others bloom in late spring.
Related Videos: Spirea Viburnum Related Resources: Early Spring-Flowering Shrubs for the Landscape Pruning Flowering Shrubs |
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Fruit Tree Rootstock Basics
Retired UT Extension Agent, Mike Dennison, talks about fruit tree rootstocks. Rootstocks are the roots of one tree fruit onto which the top of another fruit tree is grafted. This is the preferred method for growing many different kinds of fruit trees. Rootstocks are chosen because they are more prolific and faster growing than tree from seed. Apples, pears, peaches, plums and nectarines are grown on rootstock. If you plant a seed from these trees the plant will probably not do as well or last as long as if it had been on a rootstock. Also, because of cross pollination, you don’t know what fruit you are going to get. Because of this it is best to purchase a grafted tree of the variety you want with the rootstock that will do well in your area. Mike gives a list of rootstocks that do well in Tennessee for many different fruits. This list will be different in other states. Contact your local Extension office to find out what rootstocks do best in your area.
Rootstocks also determine the final height of the tree in apples. Depending on what rootstock you choose the tree can be anywhere from 8 feet to 50 feet tall. Mike was referring to the UT Extension publication: Home Fruit Tree Plan Related Videos: Fruit Tree Planting Tips Fruit Tree Pruning Spraying Peach Trees Related Resources: Fruits and Nuts Home Fruit Tree Plan Fruit Culture in Alabama Recommended Rootstocks Growing Fruit: Grafting Fruit Trees in the Home Orchard |
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Keys for Growing Cool-Season Grasses in the Southern U.S.
As the seasons change, many gardeners will transition their flower beds from summer to winter annuals. There are several things you can do so your garden remains aesthetically pleasing through the colder months.
Related Videos: Killing and Replacing Grass Getting Lawnmowers Ready for Winter Related Resources: The Cool-Season Turfgrasses: Basic Structures, Growth and Development Cool-Season Grasses: Lawn Establishment and Renovation |