Recent Q&As
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Can I trim off the Bottom Branches on my maple trees?
Yes, you can. You should remove the suckers growing from the base of the tree. You can also remove some of the lower branches. UT Extension Agent Joseph Seago says to make sure you don’t remove more than a third of the tree canopy at any one time. You should also not prune in freezing weather.
Related Videos: Cutting a Tree Branch Removing Suckers from a Maple Tree Trunk Related Resources: Pruning Trees and Shrubs Pruning Trees |
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If I plant a potato from the store, will it grow?
Yes it will… probably. There are a few problems in using store-bought potatoes to grow. They have a growth retardant sprayed on them which inhibits growth in the grocery store. They also potentially have diseases which can infect your ground for many years, making it so you can’t grow potatoes. Use certified seed potatoes if possible, to avoid these problems.
Related Videos: Planting Potatoes Hilling Potatoes Related Resources: Growing Potatoes in Home Gardens Home and Garden Potatoes |
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My crape myrtle has white and black powder. How do I make it healthy?
The white powder is probably powdery mildew. This fungus grows best in damp conditions. The black powder is sooty mold which is growing on honeydew from sap-sucking insects. Both problems can be treated.
Related Videos: Treating Crape Myrtle Bark Scale Identifying Crape Myrtle Bark Scale Mixing and Applying Fungicide Related Resources: Crape Myrtle Bark Scale Identification and Control Sooty Molds |
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What is this weed growing in my garden? A: Groundcherry
This is groundcherry, which is hard to get rid of. UT Extension Agent Joseph Seago recommends trying to pull up as many roots as possible and then spraying any resprouting shoots with glyphosate.
Related Videos: Three Ways to Wipe on Herbicide The Worst Weeds Related Resources: Smooth Groundcherry Groundcherry |
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Can you get consistent results growing organic vegetables?
It is hard to get consistent results when growing organically. There are many factors that vary year to year that will affect your harvest for good or bad. Gardener Peter Richards explains some of the things you can do to improve your harvests and make them more consistent.
Related Videos: Organic Gardening Planting and Fertilizing an Organic Garden Related Resources: Growing an Organic Garden—The Fundamentals Growing Vegetables Organically Organic Vegetable Gardening Techniques |
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What can I use to replace Captan fungicide?
There are several replacement options if you can’t get Captaan fungicide. Several copper based fungicides along with Ziram and Myclobutanil can be used. Captan is still available, but some years it can be hard to find.
Related Videos: Spraying Peach Trees Mixing and Applying Fungicide Related Resources: Disease and Insect Control on Home Fruit Plantings Fruit Spray Schedules for the Homeowner Managing Pests in Home Fruit Plantings |
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Is it to late to use dormant oil?
Dormant oils should be applied in February and March. They are underutilized by home owners and are very effective at controlling a large number of shrub, tree, and ornamental pests without using heavy chemical insecticides. The application time is controlled by the air temperature so be sure to read and follow label directions.
Related Video Dormant Oils Spraying Dormant Oil Related Resources: Just What is Dormant Oil? Using Horticultural Oil Sprays for Pest Control Using Dormant and Horticultural Oil Applications for lnsect Control |
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Is early spring the best time to prune my azaleas?
TSU Extension Agent Joellen Dimond explains that you should prune azaleas after they bloom. If you prune them in early spring you will be cutting off the flowers. Once the plant is done blooming, you can prune it – even severely – and it will grow through the rest of the year and bloom next spring.
Related Videos: Did the spring freeze damage my azaleas? Azalea Lace Bugs Related Resources: Azaleas Azalea Care Growing Azaleas and Rhododendrons |
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When is the right time to plant lettuce and other leafy greens?
In the Memphis area (Zone 7A), Late February and early March are good times to plant cool season greens. If you wait too long the plants will not be able to develop enough before the weather gets too hot and they bolt.
Related Videos: Cool Season Vegetables Planting Cool Season Vegetables Related Resources: Guide to Spring-Planted, Cool-Season Vegetables Lettuce in the Garden Cabbage |
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How do I get rid of weed vines without using lots of chemicals?
If you want to go the absolutely no chemical route you need to dig up as much of the roots as you can. You won’t get them all, but pull and dig up what does resprout. An effective chemical method, using very little herbicide, would be to cut down the vines and dab glyphosate, or brush killer, on the cut ends of the vine. The herbicide will be pulled into the roots where it will kill the plant. There will be some resprouting in either case so you will need to do it again. Eventually the vine will run out of energy and die.
Related Videos: Three Ways to Wipe on Herbicide Controlling Weeds Related Resources: Safe Herbicide Use Weeds |
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What causes fungus on tree trunks? How do I get rid of it?
The black fungus you see on crape myrtle and maple trunks is causes by sap sucking insects. On crape myrtles it is the crape myrtle bark scale and, on the maple, it is an aphid. The insects secrete a sugary substance called honeydew which falls on the trunks or lower leaves. Sooty mold then grows on the honeydew. There are several ways to get rid of the scale and aphids. The fungus will just come off naturally over time.
Related Videos: Treating Crape Myrtle Bark Scale Scale Systemic Insecticides Related Resources: Crape Myrtle Bark Scale Identification and Control Maple Aphids |
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What causes this on my leaf?
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Can any plant be transplanted during the winter?Winter is the best time to transplant shrubs and other woody plants. There are some precautions you should take when you are transplanting in the winter.
Related Videos: Transplant Shock Can Garlic be started in a pot and transplanted to the ground? What is the best time of year to transplant a crape myrtle? Related Resources: Transplanting or Moving Trees and Shrubs in the Landscape How to Transplant Small Trees |
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Why are my euonymus bushes ashen and dropping leaves?This is the effect of euonymus scale. The scale sucks sap from the plant and causes the plant to drop leaves. It is most easily controlled by using a systemic soil drench.
Related Videos: Scale Systemic Insecticides Related Resources: Euonymus Scale Euonymus Scale |
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Can I cut dead branches from an evergreen tree in winter?
Yes you can. Any time is a good time to remove rubbing, crossing or dead branches from a tree. If you are pruning in the winter, you should make sure it is on a warmer day.
Related Videos: Cutting a Tree Branch Problems with Rubbing Branches – Time to Get Out the Pruners Related Resources: Pruning Trees and Shrubs Pruning and Care of Tree wounds Pruning Trees |
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Are there shade tolerant roses?
There are not shade tolerant roses. Roses can grow in a shady area but they will not bloom as vigorously, or bloom at all.
Related Videos: Basic Rose Care Rose Bush Pruning Related Resources: Growing Roses Growing Roses in Partial Shade |
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My dogwood is dying from the
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What is a good grass that will
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My shrub has two kinds of leaves. What is this?
The shrub is really just two shrubs that have been pruned to look like one. One is a Euonymus and the other is a Cleyera. You can leave them growing together or remove one of them. If you want to remove one, it would probably be better to remove the euonymus because of the scale problems they have.
Related Videos: How to Prune Shrubs Pruning Encroaching or Overhanging Shrubs Spring Flowering Shrubs Related Resources: Shrubs (an index page to many shrub publications by species) Euonymus Ternstroemia gymnanthera Cleyera |
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Can you really compost walnut leaves? Or will it kill your plants?
You can compost walnut leaves, if you do it correctly. The process of composting also breaks down juglone, the chemical that inhibits the growth of other plants. You need to make sure you let the compost sit for several months more than usual before using it. A good safety test is to see if tomato seeds will grow in the compost.
Related Videos: When to Compost and When to Trash What are the advantages and disadvantages of using coffee grounds in a flower bed? Related Resources: Walnut leaves: Safe for composting? Can I use woodchips from black walnut as mulch in my landscape? |
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Can I grow sweet potatoes in a hot dry climate?
You should be able to grow sweet potatoes in a hot dry climate as long as you remember to give the plants what they need. You may need to add organic matter to sandy soils and water more.
Related Videos: When to Dig Sweet Potatoes Planting Sweet Potatoes Related Resources: Growing Sweet Potatoes at Home Sweet Potato |
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How do you stop spider mites
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