Family Plot

Connect with Family Plot

Growing Figs in the Home Garden in Cooler Climates

Figs are unlike many of the fruit crops commonly grown in home gardens. Native to the Mediterranean region, figs prefer warm conditions, but several varieties can be grown successfully in the Mid-South and other areas where winter temperatures are cold, but stay about zero. In colder climates (zones 6 and 7), figs often grow as shrubs or small trees because freezing temperatures can kill the above-ground stems. >>Read the Full Article

Related Videos:
Pruning Fig Trees
Tools for Pruning Trees
Figs

Fall Lawn Care for Warm Season Lawns

Fall Fruit Tree Care

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

Visit the Family Plot YouTube Channel

This Week in the Garden

Spraying Bt on Cauliflower

This week in the garden Peter Richards shows how to spray Bt or bacillus thuringiensis on a cauliflower plant to kill the worms feeding on it. Bt will kill cabbage loopers and imported cabbage worms on cauliflower, cabbage, and broccoli. >>Watch

Garden Notes
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. >>Watch

Homegrown Greenery for Flower Arranging

Many houseplants and plants in the landscape can be used to add greenery to flower arrangements, or even be used to create greenery arrangements. Master Gardener Mary Heim shows some of her go-to greenery from her house and yard she uses in her arranging. She also makes a greenery arrangement with those plants. >>Watch

Related Videos:
Arranging Grocery Store Flowers
Basic Ikebana Flower Arranging

Plants for Fall Color and Garden Interest

Fall can be one of the most colorful times in the garden, especially when plants are selected to provide flowers, foliage, berries and other forms of seasonal interest. A combination of annuals, perennials, shrubs and trees can extend the garden's display well into the fall while providing valuable food for pollinators and wildlife. >>Read the Full Article

Related Videos:
Refreshing Planters for Fall
Aster
Sedums
Planting a Butterfly Garden

Propagating Ferns from Spores

Ferns are one of the most primitive vascular plants in the world today. Gardeners can propagate ferns by dividing and sometimes with cutting rhizomes, but in nature ferns reproduce by spores. Kim Rucker the Greenhouse manager at Dixon Gallery and Gardens tells how to propagate ferns from the spores. >>Watch

The Q&A Show

Viewers asked, we answered. Garden experts answer real viewer questions covering common plant and landscape issues. Practical advice grounded in horticulture experience for home gardeners dealing with everyday garden problems. >>Watch

Why Aren’t Your Hydrangeas Blooming?

Few shrubs are as dependable for adding color to the garden as hydrangeas—when the flowers cooperate. But many gardeners have found that their hydrangeas have produced few or no flowers in recent years. Several factors can be responsible, but weather and the timing of flower bud development are among the biggest. >>Read the full article.

Pineapple Lily

Saving Seeds

Daffodils

Choosing the Right Material for Raised Beds

Top Trees for Fall Foliage

Raised Bed Soil Experiment: Early Results

Looking for more garden info?

Viewer Questions

Why is my pear tree loaded with undeveloped pears?

These are Bradford pears. Bradford pear trees produce small ornamental fruits that can look like undeveloped pears, but these fruits are not the large, edible pears produced by fruiting pear varieties. Birds readily eat the small fruits and spread the seeds, allowing Bradford pears to reproduce in natural areas and displace native vegetation. >>Watch

What is this plant?
A: An Aster

This is an aster, but the exact kind is not identifiable and most people would consider it a weed. Not every wildflower that shows up is worth keeping. Some types of aster can spread aggressively and produce tall, thin growth with relatively small flowers, making them less ornamental than many garden perennials. >>Watch

Why does my tall phlox have purple leaves and weak growth?

Tall phlox can develop abnormal leaf color and weakened growth in late summer and early fall, especially during periods of heat and drought. Dry conditions, inconsistent watering, poor air circulation, and overcrowded plants can all contribute to yellowing or stressed foliage. Purple coloration along the leaf veins may also indicate a possible magnesium deficiency. >>Watch

Why are apple diseases more common now?

Apple tree diseases can seem much more common today than they were decades ago, but several factors help explain the difference. Modern apple trees are often grown on dwarfing rootstocks such as M.9 and M.26, which are more susceptible to diseases such as fire blight than older standard full-size rootstocks. Popular apple varieties may also be chosen for flavor and productivity rather than disease resistance. Densely planted trees create a more humid environment and make it harder for foliage to dry. Also, densely planted trees are harder to spray effectively. >>Watch

How do I get my 10-year-old apple tree to flower?

There are a few reasons otherwise healthy apple trees have never flowered after 10 years. One important clue is whether the trees are growing from the original graft or from the rootstock after winter damage. If a tree died back below the graft union and regrew from the rootstock, it may produce healthy growth without ever producing fruit, because the above ground portion of the plant is not the original variety. Check the trunk for the graft union, or swollen area near the soil surface, where the original tree was grafted. Apple variety also matters: some cultivars, such as Northern Spy, can take 8–12 years to reach flowering maturity. >>Watch