Recent Q&As
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Will my apricot tree ever bear fruit?
This is likely a pollination problem. University of Memphis Director of Landscape Joellen Dimond says apricots are self-pollinating, but they need bees to knock the pollen around in the flower. She says it could also be a problem with the weather. She recommends reading the Extension publication on New England tree fruit management available here: https://netreefruit.org/stone-fruit/apricots.
Related Videos: Fruit and Nut Pollination Fruit Tree Pruning Fall and Winter Fruit Tree Care Related Resources: Tree Fruit Management Guide Home Tree Fruit Production and Pest Management |
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Is this a beneficial bug?
This is not a beneficial bug. UT Extension Agent Chris Cooper says this is the nymph of the leaf-footed bug. Leaf-footed bugs have piercing sucking mouth parts and feed on many different garden plants. They overwinter in crop debris, so clean up weeds and plants in your garden in the fall to get rid of hiding places for them.
Related Videos: Beneficial Garden Bugs Are the wasps on my corn beneficial Related Resources: Beneficial Insects, Spiders, and Other Mini Creatures in Your Garden Beneficial Insects in the Yard and Garden Beneficial Insects and other Arthropods |
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What is this plant growing in my flower garden?
This is milo or grain sorghum. It is used frequently in bird feeders and probably was dropped by a bird. Milo is used for animal feed and is high in fat and protein. It grows like corn but has a distinctive seed head. You can harvest it and put it out for the birds to eat over the winter.
Related Videos: What is this plant - Italian Arum What is this plant? - Garlic Related Resource: Grain Sorghum (Milo) |
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What are these black stripes on my green beans? Can I still eat them?
There are many possible reasons for the stripes. University of Memphis Director of Landscape Joellen Dimond says it could be due to it being late in the season. It may also be naturally occurring on this type of green bean. Either way they are safe to eat.
Related Videos: Notes - When to Harvest Green Beans Canning Green Beans Related Resources: Home Garden Green Beans Beans |
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What is this on my zinnia leaves?
This is a leaf spot caused by Alternaria blight. It is very common on zinnias. Retired UT Extension Agent Mike Dennison recommends some cultural practices to avoid disease and lists some fungicides you can use to help.
Related Videos: Fungicides Mixing and Applying Fungicide Powdery Mildew on Zinnias Related Resources: Alternaria Blight of Zinnia Zinnia - Alternaria Leaf Spot |
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How do I get blueberries to grow on my bush? They bloom a lot in
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What is wrong with my hollies? The leaves are turning brown and dying.
This could be disease or mechanical damage. Retired MSU Extension Horticulture Specialist Lelia Kelly says it is hard to tell with the pictures, but she gives several scenarios and treatment options depending on what is going on.
Related Videos: Holly Scale and Sooty Mold Planting Hollies Related Resources: Holly Diseases Holly Diseases & Insect Pests |
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Can you grow a fig from a cutting?
Figs are one of the easiest fruits to propagate. They can be propagated by cuttings or by basal cutting (cutting off a branch that has touched the ground and rooted). Retired Extension Agents Mike Dennison and Lelia Kelly talk about the different methods.
Related Videos: Figs Pruning Fig Trees Related Resources: Figs Figs in the Home Planting Fig Production Guide |
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What are the advantages and disadvantages of using coffee grounds in a flower bed?
There are several advantages of using coffee grounds in flower beds including increased organic matter and a limited amount of fertilizer. Some disadvantages include inhibiting germination and the grounds can mold. Retired MSU Extension Horticulture Specialist Lelia Kelly talks about the best way to use coffee grounds in gardening.
Related Videos: Composting Worm Composting Does caffeine from coffee grounds affect my compost pile? Related Resources: Coffee Grounds-Will They Perk Up Plants? Composting Making and Using Compost |
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What is this tree? It has helicopter seeds, but the leaves are not maple.
This is the boxelder tree, which is in the Acer genus, just like maples.
Related Videos: Japanese Maple Basics Figs Related Resources: Acer negundo Acer rubrum |
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Can I use vinegar to get rid of
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What are these little balls on my oak leaves? They turn black and fall off.
This is a leaf gall on an oak leaf. A small wasp stings the leaf and lays an egg. The chemicals in the sting and the growing larvae cause the tree to grow the ball which protects the growing wasp. It is not harmful to the tree.
Related Videos: Tree Galls What are these balls on my bald cypress tree? Related Resources: Galls on Oak Galls on Oak Leaves and Twigs |
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What is this beautiful flower? A: Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta)
This is a Rudbeckia hirta, commonly known as a black-eyed Susan. They are a beautiful yellow flower and some varieties like this one have a reddish or orange center. They tend to reseed prolifically.
Related Videos: Planting Coneflower, Beebalm, and Black-Eyed Susan in the Butterfly Garden Collecting Flower Seeds Related Resources: Rudbeckia hirta Black-Eyed Susan: Beautiful and Beneficial |
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How do I stop white leaf fungus on turnip greens?
This is probably either downy mildew or powdery mildew. Both these diseases thrive in wet conditions. The best thing to do is keep the leaves dry, especially at night. There are also several fungicides you can use.
Related Videos: Fungicides Mixing and Applying Fungicide Powdery Mildew on Zinnias Related Resources: Home Vegetable Garden Fungicides Home Fungicide Guide Easy Gardening: Turnip and Mustard Greens |
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What vegetables are the best for school gardens?
For school gardens you need a vegetable that will reach maturity quickly. This will let them be harvested before the end of the school year (spring), or be planted and mature before the frost (fall). MSU Extension Horticulture Specialist Lelia Kelly recommends several kinds of vegetables that will be able to do this.
Related Videos: Easy to Grow Herbs What vegetables are easy and low maintenance for a community garden? Related Resources: Easy Vegetables to Grow Growing Vegetables in Minigardens Steps in Starting a School Garden |
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Do I need to trim my hortensia plant before winter?
Don’t trim your hortensia (hydrangea macrophylla) before winter. Many cultivars of this plant bloom on old and new wood, so you would be cutting off some of next year’s flowers. The best time to prune hydrangeas is right after they finish blooming.
Related Videos: Common Hydrangeas Why have my hydrangeas not bloomed in the last two years? Why are the hydrangeas in my town turning from blue to pink? Related Resources: Hydrangea macrophylla Growing Bigleaf Hydrangea |
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How do I get rid of poison ivy in my Asian jasmine?
To kill poison ivy you need to kill the root. This can be difficult when it is growing in another plant. University of Memphis Director of Landscape Joellen Dimond says it will be nearly impossible to pull the entire root so she recommends using the wipe method with glyphosate. While wearing rubber gloves dip a sponge in a glyphosate solution and touch it to the poison ivy leaves. The glyphosate will translocate to the roots and kill the plant. As long as you don’t touch the desirable plant with glyphosate, it will not be affected.
Related Videos: How To Wipe On Herbicide Glyphosate Related Resources: Use Glyphosate With Care Near Trees! Getting the most from landscape herbicides |
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My whole backyard is full of dog fennel. How do I get rid of it?
Dog fennel is a tough weed because it has a strong root system. UT Extension Agent Chris says you need to try to get rid of it when it is young and actively growing. He says you can mow it, which will exhaust it of carbohydrates. He also lists some herbicides you can use.
Related Videos: Herbicide Modes Of Action Dogfennel Related Resources: Weed of the Week- Dogfennel Thistle & Dogfennel Control Timing |
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Why are my trees dying from the tips? It is all varieties.
This looks like anthracnose. University of Memphis Director of Landscape Joellen Dimond says you need to prune out affected areas or the problem may spread and kill the tree. She says you should prune several inches below the dark infected spot on the branch.
Related Videos: Cutting a Tree Branch Tools for Pruning Trees Related Resources: Anthracnose On Shade Trees Anthracnose |
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Will mistletoe kill my maple tree?
Mistletoe takes nutrients from the tree. University of Memphis Director of Landscape Joellen Dimond says the mistletoe will eventually kill the tree. If you continually cut the mistletoe out, the tree will last longer. If the tree is in an area that has lots of mistletoe, plant a tree that is not susceptible to mistletoe.
Related Videos: Removing Mistletoe How a Tree Works Related Resources: Mistletoe Controlling Mistletoe in Trees |
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If I change soil pH in one area, how large of an area does that affect?
The changed pH stays in that area. University of Memphis Director of Landscape Joellen Dimond says that plants have root systems that extend out quite a ways so surrounding plants may be affected, but only the roots in the immediate area.
Related Videos: Changing Garden Soil pH How far out from my blueberry bushes is the soil acidic? Garden pH Basics Related Resources: Changing the pH of Your Soil How To Change Your Soil's pH |
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How do I control chamber bitter?
Chamber bitter is an aggressive weed. University of Memphis Director of Landscape Joellen Dimond says she pulls it as soon as she sees it in her beds. UT Extension Agent Chris Cooper says mulching is important. Chamber bitter requires sunlight to germinate, and mulch will block that. Chris also lists some pre-emergent herbicides that will control chamber bitter.
Related Videos: Kinds of Mulch Pre-Emergent Herbicides TWIG Applying Pre-Emergent In a Flower Bed Related Resources: Chamberbitter Chamberbitter Control |