This Week In the Garden - 2021
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Planting Spinach in the Square Foot Garden
Peter Richards shows how to plant spinach in the square foot garden.
Check out our square foot gardening blog to see what is happening to these plants and others: https://www.familyplotgarden.com/square-foot-garden-blog Related Videos: Starting a Square Foot Garden When is the right time to plant lettuce and other leafy greens? Related Resources: Spinach Growing Spinach, A Cool-Season Vegetable |
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Labeling Plant Seedlings
This week in the garden Kim Rucker, Greenhouse Manager at Dixon Gallery and Gardens, shows how she labels her seedlings to keep track of the kind, color, planting date, transplanting date, and date planted in the garden.
Related Videos: Starting Flower Seeds Indoors– Family Plot How to Repot Taproot and Crown Flower Seedlings Related Resource: Keeping organized with DIY garden markers Homemade plant tags give gardens personality |
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Keep Track of Plant Tags
This week in the garden Peter Richards shows how to keep track of the tags that come with plants from the nursery. The tags give a lot of good information, but they can be hard to keep track of.
Related Videos: Correct Planting Depth Nursery Plant Selection Related Resource: Keeping organized with DIY garden markers |
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How to Repot Tap Root and Crown Flower Seedlings
This week in the garden Kim Rucker, Greenhouse Manager at Dixon Gallery and Gardens shows two different kinds of seedlings and how to repot each. Plants with a single stalk can be replanted deeper than they were, while plants that have all the leaves originating at a crown need to be replanted at the same depth.
Related Videos: Up-Potting Seedlings Starting Vegetable Seeds Indoors Related Resource: Potting Up Seedlings Starting Seeds Indoors |
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Up-Potting Seedlings
This week in the garden Kim Rucker, Greenhouse Manager at Dixon Gallery and Gardens shows how to transplant a flower seedling from a starting cell to a small pot so it can continue to grow.
Related Videos: Starting Flower Seeds Indoors– Family Plot Repotting Aloe Vera Related Resource: Starting Seeds Indoors Starting Garden Transplants at Home |
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Keep Tiny Newly-Planted Seeds from Drying Out
When you plant tiny seeds on the surface it can be difficult to keep them from drying out. Kim Rucker, Greenhouse Manager at Dixon Gallery and Gardens shows how she uses a thin layer of vermiculite to keep surface-planted seeds moist until they can germinate and grow.
Related Videos: Starting Vegetable Seeds Indoors Seeds or Transplants Related Resource: Starting Seeds Indoors Starting Plants Indoors From Seeds |
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Taking a Soil Sample
This week in the garden Haywood County Extension Director Walter Battle shows how to take a soil sample in a small garden. He collects several samples of soil from the top 6-8 inches and mixes them together and puts them into a soil sample box. This box can then be mailed to the soil lab. To reduce postage fees you can leave the soil out to dry before packaging.
Related Videos: Soil Testing Taking a Soil Sample Related Resources: Tennessee Soil Testing Information Mississippi Soil Testing Information Arkansas Soil Testing Information |
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Fall and Winter Weed Control
Many people don’t think about weeds in the winter, but Alabama A&M University Extension Specialist Rudy Pacumbaba says during the wintertime there are a lot of weeds that sprout. Using a preemergent herbicide is the best and easiest way to control weeds before they sprout, especially in the lawn. Winter time is the best time to add soil amendments. Also, you should remove any dead plants or weeds. This will help reduce the diseases, insects, and weeds for next year. You can also solarize beds by spreading plastic over them. Late winter is the best time to prune most perennial shrubs. Fall is a great time to compost. You can add healthy garden waste and leaves that are falling from the trees. Fall is also a good time to mulch to protect plants from the cold of winter. Also, the end of the growing season is a good time to evaluate your garden successes or failures and figure out how to adjust for next year.
Related Videos: Pre-Emergent Herbicides How to Prune Shrubs Amendment Related Resources: Weed Control in Home Lawns Winter Maintenance for Lawns and Landscapes Fall Maintenance Practices for Landscapes |
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Winterizing Garden HosesThis week in the garden UT Extension Agent Chris Cooper shows how to winterize a garden hose. Disconnect the hose from the spigot and dry it out. Then store it in a location that won’t freeze.
Related Videos: Hoses and Hot Water Winterizing the Vegetable Garden Related Resource: How to winterize outdoor plumbing - irrigation, hoses, spigot |
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Controlling Yellow NutsedgeThis week in the garden UT Extension Agent Chris Cooper shows how yellow nutsedge can be so troublesome in the garden and gives some options for control.
Related Videos: Nutsedge How do I get rid of nutsedge? Related Resources: Yellow nutsedge Nutsedge and Kyllinga Species |
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Cherry GummosisThis week in the garden UT Extension Agent Chris Cooper identifies gummosis on a cherry tree. Gummosis is oozing of sap from a wound or when it is trying to flush out an insect or infection.
Related Videos: How do I prevent Japanese fruit flies in my cherry tree? I have an ornamental cherry tree with tiny holes in the leaves. What should I do? Related Resource: Peach Bark Beetle and Cherry Gummosis Sticky Situations on Cherry Trees |
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Bacterial Leaf Spot
This week in the garden UT extension agent Chris Cooper talks about bacterial leaf spot. He shows how to identify it and talks about some ways to prevent it.
Related Video: Black Spot on Peppers Related Resources: Management of leaf spot diseases of trees and shrubs Bacterial Spot of Pepper and Tomato |
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Effects of Sunscald
This week in the garden University of Memphis Director of Landscape Joellen Dimond shows some cherry trees that have been affected by sunscald. One tree has been able to heal from the damage while another has a large cavity in the side. Sunscald happens in the winter on thin-barked trees when part of the frozen bark is heated and thawed by the sun causing it to split.
Related Videos: Ornamentals and Trees in the Winter Included Tree Bark Related Resource: Environmental Injury: Sunscald and Sunburn on Trees Sunscald Injury or Southwest Winter Injury on Deciduous Tree |
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Cleaning Garlic
This week in the Garden UT Extension Agent Lucas Holman shows how to clean a bulb of garlic for storage. After the garlic has cured for several weeks cut off the dead leaves and roots. Then sluff off some of the dry outer shell. You will be left with a clean garlic bulb.
Related Videos: Garlic What is this plant? - Garlic Related Resources: Garlic Harvest, Curing, and Storage Get your garlic on: A primer on planting, growing and harvesting |
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Why Did This Tree Die?
This week in the garden Certified Arborist Wes Hopper tries to figure out why a tree died. He looks at the rings and sees the tree was healthy for all but the last three or four years of its life. He can use this information to check weather records to see if that was a stressful year for trees. He guesses that the tree had a hard year and never fully recovered.
Related Videos: Which Way Will the Tree Fall? Chainsaw Safety How a Tree Works How to Cut Down a Tree Related Resource: Why Do Trees Die? Tree Physiology |
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Which Way Will the Tree Fall?
This week in the garden Certified Arborist Wes Hopper shows the method he uses before felling a tree to see which way it is leaning, and which way it will fall.
Related Videos: Chainsaw Safety How a Tree Works Related Resource: Felling, Limbing and Bucking Trees Chainsaw Safety: The Five Step Tree Felling Plan |
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The Season End of the Butterfly GardenThis week in the garden TSU Extension Agent Joellen Dimond makes one last check of the butterfly garden this season. The butterflies are gone but bees are still visiting the flowers that have not yet gone to seed.
Related Videos: Planting a Butterfly Garden The Butterfly Garden Needs Water Related Resources: Saving Seeds Butterfly Gardening |
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Breaking up a Stream of Water
This week in the garden University of Memphis Director of Landscape Joellen Dimond shows how to use your hand to break up a stream of water coming out of a watering can. It sounds simple, but it is necessary to keep the water from moving the soil and uncovering the roots or burying the crowns of newly planted plants.
Related Videos: Checking for Deep Watering Hoses and Hot Water Related Resource: After Planting Care After Planting Care |
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Removing a Rose Cane After Rose Cane BorerThis week in the garden rose expert Bill Dickerson finds a cane on a rose bush that has been attacked by a rose cane borer. He shows how to remove the affected tissue and prevent the borer using Elmer’s glue.
Related Videos: Rose Bush Pruning Basic Rose Care Deadheading Roses Related Resource: Rose Cane Borer Rose Pests - Insects that damage roses |
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Splitting Tomatoes
This week in the garden UT extension agent Chris Cooper talks about cracking tomatoes. This condition is often caused by uneven moisture. The tomato is still edible. It is only a cosmetic issue.
Related Videos: Growing Tomatoes Pressure Canning Tomatoes Related Resources: What Causes Tomatoes to Crack? Disorders of tomato |
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Bagworms
This week in the garden Retired UT Extension Agent Mike Dennison finds a bagworm growing on the blackberry trellis. He removes it and talks about how to dispose of bagworms.
Related Videos: When should I start treating for bagworms Can knockout roses get bagworms? Related Resource: Bagworm Bagworms on Trees and Shrubs |
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Pruning Dead Floricanes from Blackberries
This week in the garden retired UT Extension Agent Mike Dennison shows how to prune dead floricanes on a blackberry bush. The blackberries are growing in a trellis, and he has to be careful to not damage the new primocanes growing next to them. When he is done pruning, he threads the primocanes through the trellis.
Related Videos: Blackberry Pruning and Fertilizing Blackberry Cane Dieback Building a Blackberry Trellis Related Resource: Pruning and Training Caneberries (Blackberries and Raspberries) Pruning Raspberries, Blackberries, Gooseberries, Currants, and Elderberries Pruning Raspberries and Blackberries |
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Applying Insecticides to Prevent Squash Vine BorerThis week in the garden Peter Richards shows how to apply an insecticide to prevent squash vine borers from attacking squash plants. He applies a bifenthrin, zeta-cypermethrin mix to the first few feet of the vine. He does not apply insecticide to the leaves or flowers. Applying insecticide in the evening is best because pollinating insects are not present, and the flowers are closed.
Related Videos: Squash Vine Borer Can I kill squash vine borers with insecticide IPM (Integrated Pest Management) Related Resource: Squash vine borers in home gardens Managing Squash Vine Borer |
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Easy Deep Watering with a Milk CartonThis week in the garden gardener Peter Richards shows how to use a milk carton to slowly and deeply water vegetable plants. This allows the water to soak into the soil instead of running off.
Related Videos: Installing a Drip Irrigation System Water-Wise Gardening Checking for Deep Watering Related Resource: How to Water a Garden - Yes, Really Smart Watering in the Garden |
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Hoses and Hot WaterThis week in the garden University of Memphis Director of Landscape Joellen Dimond recommends testing the temperature of the water running out of your hose on a summer day. You should let it cool off before using it to water plants.
Related Videos: Water-Wise Gardening Flowers Need Water Related Resource: Efficient Use of Water in the Garden and Landscape Irrigating the Vegetable Garden Smart watering in the vegetable garden |
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Checking for Deep Watering
This week in the garden University of Memphis Director of Landscape Joellen Dimond shows how to make sure you have watered deeply and that the water has gotten down to the roots of your plants. To check she digs a small hole to make sure the soil is moist. Deep watering helps plant roots grow lower protecting them from the heat and sun of summer.
Related Videos: Flowers Need Water Summer Lawn Watering Water-Wise Gardening Related Resource: How to Water a Garden - Yes, Really Smart Watering in the Garden |
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When to Pick Okra
This week in the garden UT Assistant Professor of Residential and Consumer Horticulture, Natalie Bumgarner, shows when is the best time to pick okra. Don’t let the pods get too long or they will be tough.
Related Videos: Planting Vegetable Seeds Thinning Fall Garden Problems Related Resources: Okra Home Garden Okra |
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Pruning Flowering AnnualsThis week in the garden Tipton County UT Extension Agent Joellen Dimond shows how to prune flowers. Pruning flowers reduces leggy-ness and helps them bush out. Flowers are pruned so the cut is just above a leaf or branch.
Related Videos: Planting Summer Flowers Annuals and Perennials for the Garden Related Resources: Pruning Herbaceous Plants Pruning Flowers and Other July Gardening Tips |
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Harvesting Seed Heads from the Carrot Family
This week in the garden UT/TSU Extension Agent Celeste Scott shows when to harvest the seed heads from plants in the carrot family including dill, coriander, parsley, and cilantro. The seed heads will go through different stages of development. Once they are harvested you can collect the seeds to plant next year.
Related Videos: Saving Bean Seeds Make a Simple Seeder Related Resource: How do Carrots Produce Seeds? |
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Using a Hoe for Weed Control
This week in the garden Retired UT Extension Agent Mike Dennison shows how to use a hoe to remove weeds from the garden. It is important to remove the root and leave it exposed to dry out and die.
Related Videos: Controlling Weeds Cultural Lawn Weed Control Related Resource: Controlling weeds in home gardens Controlling Weeds by Cultivating & Mulching |
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Side-Dressing Corn
This week in the garden Retired UT Extension Agent Mike Dennison shows how to side-dress corn with nitrogen fertilizer. Corn requires a lot of nitrogen, but one side-dressing is enough for the growing season.
Related Videos: Sidedressing Vegetables What should you consider before starting a vegetable garden? Related Resource: Aphids in home yards and gardens Tomato Insect IPM Guidelines |
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Moving Volunteer Trees
This week in the garden UT Extension Agent Chris Cooper finds a volunteer cedar tree growing in the flower bed. He shows how to dig it up without damaging the roots. The tree can be transplanted to another location.
Related Videos: Moving Volunteer Flowers Volunteer Plants Related Resource: Transplanting or Moving Trees and Shrubs in the Landscape Transplanting Trees and Shrubs |
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How to Side Dress Tomato Plants
This week in the garden UT Extension Agent Chris Cooper shows how to side dress tomato plants. Each month you should give each plant one tablespoon of nitrogen fertilizer.
Related Videos: Growing Tomatoes How To support Growing Tomato Plants Related Resource: Fertilizing Vegetables Growing Home Garden Tomatoes |
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Digging Up Flower Bulbs
This week in the garden University of Memphis Director of Landscape Joellen Dimond shows how to dig up flower bulbs. In her case she is getting rid of tulip bulbs, but you can use the same method to move bulbs to another location.
Related Videos: How to Plant Flower Bulbs Spring Blooming Bulbs Related Resource: Flowering Bulbs for Tennessee Gardens Spring Flowering Bulbs Fall Planted Bulbs and Corms |
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Pruning Encroaching or Overhanging Shrubs
This week in the garden University of Memphis Director of landscape Joellen Dimond shows how to prune a shrub that is overhanging and shading an annual flower bed. She prunes it back to a branch junction. This will provide more light to the bed below and will not harm the shrub.
Related Videos: Rose Bush Pruning Tools for Pruning Trees Pruning Flowering Annuals Related Resource: Pruning trees and shrubs Pruning Ornamental Trees and Shrubs |
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Moving a Planted Annual
This week in the garden University of Memphis Director of Landscape Joellen Dimond shows how to move an annual that was planted in the wrong place. She uses her trowel to loosen the soil, dig around the plant, and lift it out of the ground. She then replants it in a better place.
Related Videos: Annuals and Perennials for the Garden Pruning Flowering Annuals Related Resource: Growing Annual Flowers Growing Annual Flowers: Planning, starting and caring for a garden |
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Taking Care of Mexican Bean Beetles
This week in the garden Retired UT Extension Agent Mike Dennison identifies Mexican bean beetles and identifies what insecticides to use to control them.
Related Videos: How do I kill flea beetles on my beans How do I get rid of Japanese beetles Related Resources: Mexican Bean Beetle Mexican Bean Beetle Dealing with Mexican Bean Beetles in Your Georgia Garden |
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Sidedressing Vegetables
This week in the garden Extension Agent Chris Cooper shows how to use fertilizer to sidedress vegetable plants. He sprinkles the fertilizer on the ground around the base of the plant. Side dressing vegetables gives them the nitrogen they need to grow.
Related Videos: Fertilizing (Side Dressing) Corn Garden Fertilizer Math Related Resources: Vegetable Gardening – Nitrogen Recommendations Fertilizing Vegetables |
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Thinning Vegetables
This week in the garden Retired UT Extension Agent Mike Dennison shows how to thin vegetable seedlings. Two weeks ago he planted several seeds in each hole to make sure there was a plant at each spot. To thin Mike carefully pulls out the extra plants leaving the healthiest looking seedlings. This will allow each new plant to develop without competition from close plants.
Related Videos: Planting Vegetable Seeds Vegetable Garden Planning Related Resources: Thinning Plants in the Garden Thinning makes more productive gardens |
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Trimming Off Spent Bulb Blooms
TSU Extension Agent Joellen Dimond shows how to trim off spent bloom from daffodil and tulip plants. This keeps the plant from using energy to make seed and instead use that energy to prepare for the next growing season. Also, it makes your plants look nicer.
Related Video: Planting Spring Flower Bulbs Related Resources: Hints on Growing Tulips Spring Flowering Bulbs: Daffodils |
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How to Tell If Your Plant is Dead
This week in the garden Tonya Ashworth shows two ways to tell if your woody plant is dead. She demonstrates the snap test and the scrape test.
Related Videos: Do I just trim off the dead upper limbs of my fig tree? Removing Dead Tree Branches Related Resources: How to Tell if a Tree or Shrub Is Dead or Still Dormant Diagnosing Root Death In Woody Ornamentals |
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Repotting Aloe Vera
This week in the garden University of Memphis Director of Landscape
Joellen Dimond shows how to repot an aloe vera plant. The plant has been
living in her windowsill all winter and has circling roots that need to
be corrected. Joellen says to check your aloe vera plant about once a
year to see if it has grown and needs to be repotted.
Related Videos: Repotting Houseplants Potting Rooted Cuttings Related Resource: Aloe Vera What Should I Know About Growing Aloe at Home? |
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Potting Rooted Cuttings
This week in the garden University of Memphis Director of Landscape Joellen Dimond pots the coleus cuttings she took before last fall’s frost. The roots have intertwined in the water. After carefully separating them she puts them in moist soil. These plants will only be in the pot for a few weeks before she plants them outside in her garden.
Related Videos: Easy Way to Root Cuttings from Annuals How do you root roses from clippings? Planting Bare Root Strawberries Related Resource: Propagating by Cutting or Layering Plant Propagation by Stem Cuttings |
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Is the soil dry enough to till?
This week in the garden Master Gardener Tom Mashour shows how to tell if your soil is dry enough for tilling. If you till when it is too wet, you will get big dirt clods.
Related Videos: Tilling and Amending a New Garden Rototilling a Garden Related Resources: Don’t Be Too Eager to Work That Soil! Preparing Garden Soil for Planting |
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Rossizing Hostas
This week in the garden Jim Crowder from Memphis Botanic Garden shows how to rossize hostas. You just cut an X through the pip and basil plate as the plant comes up in the spring. This is a procedure that encourages the hosta to make pups which will make the hosta larger or be used for propagation.
Related Video: Dividing Hostas Hostas Related Resources: Hosta |
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Spraying Dormant Oil
This week in the garden retired UT extension agent Mike Dennison demonstrates how to apply dormant oil to a crape myrtle tree. This procedure is also applicable to other ornamentals and shrubs. Spray to the point of runoff. Dormant oil will tend to separate from the water in the sprayer tank so make sure you shake it regularly to keep it in suspension. Do not spray less than 48 hours before a hard freeze. The water in the spray may freeze injuring the plant. As always read and follow label instructions for mixing and applying dormant oil.
Related Videos: Horticulture Oils Related Resources: Pest and Disease Control Using Horticultural Oils Horticultural Oils – What a Gardener Needs to Know |
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Cleaning Out Garden Beds
This week Haywood County Extension Director Walter Battle talks about cleaning out the garden getting it ready for planting. Old plants that do not have disease problems like cabbage or cauliflower can be composted. Plants that have disease problems or blights like tomatoes should be thrown away to help reduce the disease in your garden this year. It is best to clean up your garden in the fall.
Related Videos: Composting Winter Cover Crops Related Resources: Tips for garden clean-up to reduce pests, diseases Cleaning Up after Plant Disease |
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Tools for Pruning Trees
This week in the garden Memphis Botanic Garden Arborist Bo Kelley talks about the different pruning tools available and shows how to use some of them to remove dead branches from a tree.
Related Videos: Tools Every Gardener Needs Pruning (Not Murdering) Crape Myrtles Fruit Tree Pruning Related Resources: Tree Pruning Essentials Pruning Landscape Trees |
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Spray Patterns
This week in the garden Extension Agent Celeste Scott talks about spray patterns in home pump-up sprayers. The stream setting is useful for perimeter application or spraying high in trees. The mist setting is good for applying chemicals to plants where good coverage is necessary especially in dense foliage.
Related Videos: Mixing and Applying Fungicide Herbicide Basics Pre-Emergent Herbicides Related Resources: Using Your Handheld Lawn and Garden Sprayer Calibrating Hand-Held and Backpack Sprayers for Applying Pesticides Calibrating Hand-Held Sprayers |
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Vole Proofing and Planting Hostas
Hosta expert Jim Crowder from Memphis Botanic Garden shows how plant a hosta and prevent vole damage. After preparing the soil Jim adds soil perfecter (crushed rock) to the planting hole and presses it against the side. He then plants the hosta on the rock bed and puts more perfecter over the root ball. The crushed rock keeps the voles from getting to the hosta pip.
Related Video: Dividing and Potting Hostas Hostas Kinds of Mulch Related Resources: Hosta Voles |
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Pansy Fertilizer Experiment
Chris takes a look at the difference in two plantings of pansies. Before one group was planted manure and fertilizer were added to the soil. The other group did not have any soil amendments or fertilizer. There is a big difference in the results.
Related Videos: Fertilizer Basics Planting Dusty Miller and Pansies Planting Pansies and Tulips for Winter and Spring Color Related Resources: Fertilizers Growing Pansies |
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Killing Japanese Beetles
This week in the garden UT/TSU Extension Agent Joellen Dimond shows how to use soapy water to kill Japanese beetles. By putting them soapy water, where they drown, the beetles do not release the pheromone which attracts other beetles to their location.
Related Video: How do I get rid of Japanese beetles Related Resources: The Japanese Beetle Japanese Beetles in the Urban Landscape |
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Flowers for Butterflies
This week in the garden Mary Schmidt from Lichterman Nature Center talks about how butterflies feed and the flowers you can plant in different seasons of the year to attract them.
Related Videos: Planting a Butterfly Garden Other Pollinators in the Butterfly Garden Related Resources: Gardening for Butterflies Butterfly Gardening |
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Encouraging Tree Feeder Root Growth
This week in the garden certified arborist Wes Hopper shows how to use a trowel or shovel to loosen the soil under a small tree to encourage feeder root growth.
Related Videos: Planting a Tree Effects of High Wind on Small Trees Fertilizing Trees Related Resources: Tree Root Systems Healthy Roots and Healthy Trees |
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Moving Fire Ants Without Chemicals
This week in the Garden UT Extension Agent Chris Cooper shows how to get a fire ant mound to move without chemicals. Fire ants like to be left alone. If you disturb the mound every day the ants will move.
Related Videos: Killing Fire Ants What's the best way to get rid of fire ants in raised beds? Related Resources: Managing Fire Ants Fire Ant Control in Two Easy Steps |
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Pruning a Water Sprout
This week in the garden certified arborist Wes Hopper shows how to remove a watersprout from a magnolia tree. Watersprouts grow when the tree is under stress. He shows how to remove the growth over two years or all at once.
Related Videos: Pruning Tools Overview Should I prune the Y in my tree Related Resources: Pruning Basics A Guide to Successful Pruning Pruning Deciduous Trees |