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Planting Scaevola, Pentas and VincaSummer annuals provide season long color for the garden. This year University of Memphis Director of Landscape Joellen Dimond plants red, white and blue flowers with blue scaevola, red pentas and white vinca. She fertilizes the bed with a slow-release fertilizer that will feed the plants all season. She creates a checkerboard pattern with the plants, laying out and spacing each kind before planting.
Related Videos: TWIG–Planting Annuals in the Butterfly Garden Planting Sunpatiens, Joseph's Coat, and Colocasia Related Resources: Annual Flowers Scaevola or Fan Flower Pentas Annual Vinca |
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Tips for Growing Corn
Corn is one of the classic garden vegetables. Retired UT Extension Agent Mike Dennison talks about how to grow corn including planting, fertilizing, pollinating, harvesting and how to control the insects and critters that want to eat the corn before you do.
Related Videos: Planting Corn Corn Fertilizing (Side Dressing) Corn Related Resources: Growing Sweet Corn in Home Gardens Vegetables: Growing Sweet Corn in Home Gardens Insect Pests of Sweet Corn |
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Repotting Houseplants
Rick Pudwell, Director of Horticulture at the Memphis Botanic Garden demonstrates how to repot a houseplant and gives some tips for healthy, happy houseplants.
The first plant he repots is a sansevieria, otherwise called a mother-in-law tongue. The plant he is working with has grown for many years in a small pot. Rick teases out the roots to stop them from circling. The new pot he uses has a drainage hole at the bottom, which you want. He puts some broken clay pot shards in the new pot over the hole. This allows good drainage but keeps the soil from falling out. He uses a potting mix and fills soil around the plant so it sits in the pot at the same depth as the previous pot. He also makes sure the soil level is below the top of the pot to prevent water from running over the sides. He packs the soil around the plant to hold the plant and soil in place. Finally, Rick places the pot on a saucer to catch the water that will run out the bottom. Rick then gives watering instructions for this plant. Rick then repots a Croton. This particular plant has a poor root system. Most of the roots have rotted away from overwatering. The plant is also laying down in the pot. Because of the poor condition of the root ball Rick selects a smaller pot than he was originally going to use. He sets the plant at an angle in the new pot – so it is growing straight up – and fills in the soil. Then he uses a bamboo stake to hold it up. When he is done repotting the plants, Rick gives general houseplant care advice. Most houseplants are from the tropics so they do better when watered with luke-warm water. He also recommends getting a small spray bottle and spritzing the plants in the morning to give them a little humidity. Houses are usually drier than tropical plants prefer. For fertilizer Rick recommends fertilizing from March to October with a liquid fertilizer at half the strength recommended on the box. He also gives advice on how to control insects on houseplants. Related Videos: Building a Self-Watering Houseplant Pot Repotting Aloe Vera Related Resources: Indoor Plants - Transplanting & Repotting Repotting Houseplants Caring for Houseplants |
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Summer Lawn Watering
UT Extension Agent Booker T. Leigh talks about the ins and outs of watering lawns in the heat of the summer. Booker says that the best time to water your lawn is early in the morning. This way the water has time to soak in before it evaporates like it would in the heat of the day. The grass will also have time to dry before evening. If plants are wet at night it encourages the growth of diseases.
Lawns with warm season grasses like Bermuda and zoysia should have about one inch of water a week. It is best if the lawn gets that water all at one time. This allows the water to really soak into the soil. Also, the top of the soil will dry out between waterings. This will force the grass roots to grow deeper into the soil in search of water, which also makes the grass more drought tolerant and healthier. With frequent shallow watering, grass roots will be near the surface where they can easily dry out and die. Booker also gives tips for watering new grass seed and watering before and after you lay sod. Related Videos: Summer Lawn Problems Lawn Fertilization Lawn Weed Killer Application Related Resources: Watering Lawns Home Lawn Watering Guide Summer Lawn Management: Watering the Lawn |
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Square Foot Gardening Basics
Gardening Expert Tonya Ashworth talks about the basics of square foot gardening. Square foot gardens are grown in raised beds, usually four feet square. The bed is then divided into square foot sections. There are several advantages to a square foot garden. They are small in size, you don’t need large garden equipment like a rototiller, there are almost no weeds, and they can grow many plants in the small space. In each square foot of garden you can grow sixteen carrots; a tomato, pepper or eggplant; four bush beans; or nine sweet peas.
Related Videos: Building Raised Bed Planting Vegetable Seeds Related Resources: Square Foot Gardening for Beginners The Facts of Square Foot Gardening Create a Square-Foot, High-Yield Vegetable Garden |
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Imidacloprid
Imidacloprid is a neonicotinoid which means the chemical resembles nicotine. It is a systemic insecticide that interferes with insect nervous systems. It is effective both as a contact and ingestion insecticide. There is some controversy about imidacloprid, it has been accused of being part of colony collapse disorder in honey bees. Read and follow the label.
Related Videos: Carbaryl Permethrin Related Resources: Imidacloprid Imidacloprid General Fact Sheet |
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Making Low-Sugar Strawberry
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Wildlife Friendly Gardens
Garden Expert Tonya Ashworth talks about things you can do to encourage wildlife to visit your garden. Wildlife will come to your garden when there is food, water, and shelter. These things can be provided by plants in your yard, and you can supplement with feeders.
If you want to attract birds, you should use your entire yard. Also, think about all the vertical space you have available from tall trees to short perennial flowers. Plant trees, shrubs and flowers that provide both shelter and food for the birds. Tonya lists good tree, shrub, and vine choices. She also talks about feeders that provide seeds, fruit and suet. You can also provide birdhouses. To attract butterflies, you need to think in two ways. First, you need to plant host plants for the caterpillars. Caterpillars are very choosy about what plant they will eat so you can attract a certain species by planting a certain host plant. Second, adult butterflies – and hummingbirds – feed from nectar plants. Tonya gives a list of some of these plants. Bees are attracted to blue and yellow flowers. They will be attracted to many of the same flowers as the butterflies. Also, you can provide a place for solitary bees to lay eggs. You can make a bee hotel out of a block of wood and Tonya explains how. Related Videos: Planting a Butterfly Garden Birdbaths Hanging a Hummingbird Feeder – Family Plot How to attract butterflies hummingbirds and bees to shady yard Related Resources: Attracting Birds to Your Yard Attracting Butterflies to the Garden Attracting Native Bees to Your Landscape |
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Replacing a Wooden Raised Bed with Concrete Block
Wooden raised beds last several years but eventually they rot and need to be replaced. Gardener Peter Richards shows how to remove the wood around a bed and replace it with concrete blocks. Having a level bottom layer is essential to having a stable wall. Peter shows how to make sure the base layer is level before building up. This same method can be used with cinderblock or brick raised beds.
Related Videos: Building Raised Bed Watermelons In Raised Beds Related Resources: Building a Raised Bed Garden Raised-Bed Gardening Raised Bed Gardening |
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Preparing lawns for Summer
Getting your lawn ready for summer in the spring will keep it happy and healthy for the whole growing season. UT Extension Agent Booker T. Leigh explains what to do. His first recommendation is to get a soil test so you know what to add to your soil. Do you need to change the pH and how much fertilizer do you need? Booker also recommends sharpening your mower blade to get a nice clean cut. He recommends cutting your lawn in different directions each time and at the right height. Booker also talks about common lawn diseases and insect pests. He also talks about aeration, dethatching, watering, and fertilization.
Related Videos: Soil Testing Lawn Aeration Sharpening Mower Blades Related Resource: Lawn Management Through the Seasons |
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How to Calibrate Your Fertilizer Spreader
For best results you need to spread a certain amount of fertilizer evenly over your yard. UT Extension Agent Celeste Scott shows how to calibrate your spreader to make sure you are spreading evenly. She first shows how to check the application rate of a rotary spreader and then calibrate it to apply at the desired rate. She then talks about how to calibrate your pump sprayer and hose end sprayer. She also talks about handheld rotary spreaders.
Related Videos: Correct Lawn Fertilizer Application Lawn Fertilization Related Resource: Calibrating Your Fertilizer Spreader Calibrating Spreaders |
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Fish for Water Features
Andy Williams from the Lichterman Nature Center talks about the different kinds of fish for water features in your yard. The three main kinds of fish to consider are minnows, goldfish, and koi. Fish such as bluegill and bass need more space and are more suited for a large pond. To support fish in your water feature you should make sure you only put fish into the water feature so you have one square foot of water surface per inch of fish. The fish will grow but that is a good starting out rule of thumb. Andy briefly tells the history of each kind of fish, how big they will grow and the different varieties available. He also talks about what to look for when purchasing fish.
Related Video: Basic Pond Maintenance Related Resources: Ornamental Ponds & Water Gardens in Texas Water Gardens Species Profile: Koi and Goldfish Ornamental Garden Pools |
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Planting Blackberries
Retired UT Extension Agent Mike Dennison shows how to plant a blackberry plant. He is planting a plant of the Natchez cultivar. It is a semi-erect thornless variety. Mike advises to make sure you know how big the plant will get before you plant it. Blackberries should be planted at container depth - the top of the container soil is at the same level as the ground. He digs a hole as deep as the pot and about twice as wide and scores the sides. The plant he has is root bound so he does some root pruning with a knife and then sets the plant into the hole. He then backfills around the plant.
Related Videos: Blackberry Pruning and Fertilizing Building a Blackberry Trellis Related Resources: Blackberries and Raspberries in Home Gardens Blackberry Blackberries for the Home Garden |
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How To Support Growing Tomato Plants
There are many options for supporting tomato plants in your garden. Gardener Peter Richards shows several methods he has tried and talks about what he likes and does not like about each one. He says that the traditional wire tomato cages do not work, instead you need a sturdier structure. He talks about and shows the pros and cons of heavy tomato cages, the Florida weave, livestock panel platform, tying the plants to a pole and tying them up with string. His personal favorite is to prune the tomatoes into a vine and use string to tie them up. He says this method makes it so you don’t need to spray fungicides nearly as often or at all and the plant will stay blight free for most of the year.
Related Videos: Tomato Support: The Florida Weave Tying up Tomato Plants Tomato Stake Extension Related Resource: Growing Tomatoes Tomatoes - Staking |
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Companion Planting
Gardening expert Tonya Ashworth talks about companion planting in the garden. Companion planting is when you plant two or more crops together to try to influence pest pressure, increase yield, or gain some other benefit. A classic companion planting from the Native Americans is called the “three sisters,” corn, green beans and squash were grown together. The corn provided a place for the beans to climb, The beans provided nitrogen to the corn and the squash kept out the racoons and provided shade and weed suppression. In the 1960s and 1970s there were many lists of companion plantings circulated. Most of these have been debunked by scientific study. There were a few companion plantings however that have proven to work: Basil and tomatoes, potatoes and beans, onions and carrots, among others.
Marigolds are also often planted ward off insects. Marigolds can be effective against soil nematodes but not in the same season. If you have nematode problem plant the marigolds and then wait a few seasons. Marigolds can also reduce insect pressure but it is not always beneficial to yields. For example, marigolds will reduce the number of Mexican bean beetles on beans but will also reduce yield. One way to benefit from a companion planting situation is to plant a polyculture – plant of many varieties close together. This confuses the insects and they may not be able to find their favorite host plant among all the different smells from the plants. Another idea is to plant a group of plants near your garden to host beneficial insects. This way when harmful insects invade your garden they will be nearby. Related Videos: Planting a Butterfly Garden Planting Tropical Hibiscus and Begonias Related Resources: Trap Crops, Intercropping, and Companion Planting Companion Planting (University of Nevada) Companion Planting (Cornell University) |
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Hostas
Hosta expert Jim Crowder from Memphis Botanic Garden talks about basic hosta care and shows a few varieties. All hostas prefer shade. They can also tolerate extremely dry shade. They can be planted next to a large tree - that would out-compete many other plants - and do well.
There are a lot of variation in hostas. Some are small, others large. There are a wide range of leaf colors and flower colors. There are over 4000 named cultivars of hostas. Jim shows some of his favorite cultivars: ‘designer genes’ which has a red petiole, ‘Hadspen Blue’ has leaves that have a steel blue color, ‘high society’ has yellow variegation in the center of the leaf and does not fade, ‘remember me’ is another variegated hosta with a yellow leaf center, ‘curly fries’ has long slender wavy leaves that start out yellow and turn green through the season, ‘ivory coast’ is a taller hosta with lighter variegation, and ‘Empress Wu’ which grows four feet high and eight feet wide. Many hostas sport unique-to-the-plant features like white leaves or unique variegation patterns. One of the biggest problems with hostas is voles. They will tunnel under mulch or travel in unused mole tunnels and devour the roots and crown of hostas. Voles don’t like to be in the open so avoid using mulch. Hostas are relatively disease free. A few years ago there was a disease called virus X that caused changes to the plant like corrugated leaves or streaks or ripples in color of the leaves. Virus X is only transmitted by man. A hosta that is infected can be removed and a new hosta planted in its place without transmitting the disease. Hostas grow and spread by growing pups. Some hosta varieties do not pup quickly. You can encourage this by rossizing the hosta. Related Videos: Dividing and Potting Hostas Rossizing Hostas Vole Proofing and Planting Hostas Related Resources: Hosta Hostas A Host of Hostas |
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Spring Soil Preparation
Retired UT Extension Agent Mike Dennison talks about getting your garden soil ready for planting. The best way to start your soil prep is to get a soil test. This is best done in the fall to give any needed lime a chance to change the soil pH. If it is spring, get the test and put out the lime. It will take a few months to take effect but will change the pH over the season. The soil test also tells you how much fertilizer you need.
Remove vegetation from the area you are going to plant. You can do this with a rototiller, chemicals, a shovel, etc. Don’t work the soil when it is too wet because it will form clods that will stay through the growing season. If you would like to get an early start on your garden create 6-8-inch ridges in the fall. These ridges will dry out and warm up faster than flat ground. There is an online national soil survey and you can find out what kind of soil you have in your garden for free. This will help you know if your soil is sandy or has lots of clay and the percolation rate of the soil. You need drainage in your garden. If water is standing in your garden you need to create a way for it to drain, dig a ditch. Related Videos: How To Take a Soil Sample Tilling and Amending a New Garden Garden Fertilizer Math Related Resources: Soil Testing Prepare Your Soil Soil Preparation for Vegetable Gardens |
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Problems to Avoid in Nursery Plants
Nurseries have lots of plants. Some are in better condition than others. University of Memphis Director of Landscape Joellen Dimond talks about and shows examples of what you should avoid when buying plants. Diseased and root bound plants are an obvious no, but there are many other red flags to look out for. Joellen talks about potential problems with old wounds, suckers, staking, roots, shape and even weeds.
Related Videos: Nursery Plant Selection Tree Staking Options Related Resource: Selecting quality trees from the nursery |
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Pruning (Not Murdering) Crape Myrtles
Certified arborist Wes Hopper prunes a Crape Myrtle that has previously been “murdered,” or the top has been chopped off. He starts by removing the low hanging branches and twigs that will poke him as he prunes. He throws the debris away from the tree so he will not trip on it as he is moving around while looking up. This Crape Myrtle tree has multiple stems. Some of those stems are crowded so Wes cuts off several of the stems. This opens up the middle of the tree. Wes likes to use hand pruners whenever possible to avoid damaging the thin bark. Wes removes the epicormic growth, or growth that grows secondary like water sprouts. Epicormic growth is weak and loosely attached to the tree. Wes tries to cut the branches he does not want to grow beyond the branch collar. This will keep them from growing. Wes then prunes the upper canopy of the tree with a pole pruner. He removes the old seed pods. He cuts just above a node to allow for future growth. Finally, he cuts back the suckers around the base of the tree.
Related Videos: Treating Crape Myrtle Bark Scale What is this bark damage on my crape myrtles? Related Resources: Crape Myrtle Pruning Pruning Crapemyrtles Crapemyrtle Pruning |
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Spring Garden ChecklistThere is a lot to do in the garden in the spring. University of Memphis Director of Landscape Joellen Dimond talks about what she does to get her garden ready for the growing season. The first thing on the list is pruning perennials and ornamental grasses. Also, spring is a good time to plant trees and shrubs. She also talks about spring insect treatments and pruning for fruit and ornamental trees.
Joellen then talks about vegetable gardens. Joellen lists cool season vegetables to plant in the spring. She also talks about how to protect them from unusually cold nights. Also, spring is a good time to plant berries and small fruits like grapes. When the ground warms to about 70 degrees it will be time to plant summer blooming bulbs. Also, later in the spring is the time to prune evergreen shrubs. There may be some winter damage and you want to be able to see what survived before you make pruning decisions. Related Videos: Spring Lawn Care Spring Soil Preparation Early Spring Rose Care |
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Pruning Fig Trees
Garden expert Bill Colvard shows how to prune a neglected fig tree. It has been an unusually warm late winter and early spring so the fig tree started growing leaves but they were killed by a recent frost. The tree will be okay but right now you can’t tell how much of the branch will be effected by the frost. Bill talks about some of the things to look for and do while pruning and then he gets to work. He cuts off most of the branches coming from the base including all the ones growing horizontal. He leaves just a few stronger vertical branches. Then he shortens those branches so the tree will grow more full and less leggy. When he is done, the tree is much smaller but will be better looking and better suited for producing fruit.
Related Videos: Tools for Pruning Trees Figs Related Resources: Figs in the Home Planting Figs Fig Production Guide |
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Rose Bush Pruning
Rose expert Bill Dickerson shows how to prune a rose bush. After showing the tools he uses, he starts by pruning off all the dead wood. As he works on the bush he also cuts off all the canes that are thinner than a pencil. He prunes to open up the center of the bush by removing branches growing toward the center and pruning just above buds that are facing outward. Bill says that as the dead wood and small branches are removed it gets easier to see what needs to be cut. If you prune the bush taller you will get more smaller roses, if you prune down to 12-18 inches from the ground you will get fewer larger roses. Bill shows how to identify a bud on the cane. He explains that each bud can have up to three growths from it. Because he wants a cane to grow from the bid by his cut, he removes any leaves that are growing from the bud below his cut. As he is pruning, Bill finds a cane that had a cane borer last year. He cuts it back and explains what he does to try to prevent borers.
Related Videos: Basic Rose Care What's eating holes in my rose leaves? Spring Rose Care and Pruning Related Resources: Pruning Roses A Quick Guide to Pruning Roses Growing Roses |
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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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Frogs and Toads
Mary Schmidt from Lichterman Nature Center talks about frogs and toads and why you want them in your garden. They are amphibians that are tied to water. They lay their eggs in the water and have part of their life cycle there too. The bumps or warts on toads are a protection. The bumps contain glands that secrete a toxin. Toads are a kind of frog. Mary has several frogs and toads with her to demonstrate the differences. Frogs like the bullfrog have long back legs and leap. True toads have dry rough skin and shorter stubbier legs to hop. She also brought a tree frog and spadefoot toad.
Frogs and toads are beneficial in several ways. The most obvious is that they eat a lot of insects. Also, frogs and toads can absorb things through their skin, so they can be an indicator that you have problems in your yard or garden. To attract frogs and toads to your garden you need to provide habitat they like. They need water and moisture. You can also provide places for toads to hide. Mary shows how to make a toad abode with a flowerpot and a couple of rocks. Toads look for movement to find insects to eat. When they eat they pull their eyes into their head to help push the food down their throat. Bull frogs eat anything they can fit into their mouth including insects, other frogs, and even birds. Mary feeds some mealworms to the toads to show how they eat. Related Videos: My toad abodes only attract black widow spiders. How do I attract toads? Raptors Snakes in the Garden Related Resources: Frogs and Toads Frogs, Toads, and the Garden Frogs & Toads of Florida March 27, 2021 |
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Songbirds as Pests
Retired UT Extension Agent Mike Dennison talks about how to handle songbirds when they are pests. You cannot kill songbirds, so you have to discourage them. Songbirds can be a problem in the garden because they eat fruit. One thing you can do is plant enough for you and the birds. The only sure way to keep birds from your fruit is to use bird netting. If you have too large of an area to cover you can use frightening devices like propane cannons, plastic owls, mylar tape, a blaring radio, plastic snakes, or anything else that looks like a predator. With all of these things you need to change it up once in a while or the birds will figure out that it is fake. Nests are usually not a problem, but they can stop up your gutters and swallows can build mud nests on your house. This is where rubber snakes work best. If you place a rubber snake close to where the birds typically build their nests they will go elsewhere. You must discourage nesting before the birds arrive in the spring. Once there are eggs in the nest you can’t disturb them.
Related Videos: Protect Strawberries from Birds Keep Birds Out of Blueberries Related Resources: Prevention and Control of Wildlife Damage: Birds Controlling Birds Around Farm Buildings Urban Pest Birds: Controlling Damage March 27, 2021 |
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Pruning Nectarines, Peaches, and Plums
Nectarines, peaches, and plums are all pruned the same way, to an open center. Retired UT extension agent Mike Dennison prunes two nectarine trees.
The first one is young. Mike demonstrated how to give the tree its first pruning and open up the center. The second tree is about ten years old and is much larger. Mike cuts several large limbs off of the tree in order to open up the center of the tree and removes other branches. Related Video: Fruit Tree Pruning Concepts Spraying Peach Trees Pruning Nectarines, Peaches, and Plums Related Resources: Pruning Neglected Fruit Trees Pruning Peaches & Nectarines Training and Pruning Fruit Trees March 20, 2021 |
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Cabbage is a popular cool season vegetable that is a member of the cole crop family. It is rich in many vitamins and minerals. There are four major members of the cabbage family: the familiar green cabbage, red cabbage, savoy cabbage which has crinkly leaves, and Chinese cabbage which includes bok choy. When planting cabbage enough space needs to be left between the plants to allow them to grow. 18-24 inches is usually needed. Cabbage is a heavy nitrogen feeder and requires fertilizer whether compost or artificial. To see if the cabbage is ready for harvest squeeze the head. It should be firm, it is not leave it for another week or two. Cabbage is attacked by several insects including the cabbage looper, imported cabbage worms, cut worms, aphids, harlequin bugs, flea beetles and cabbage maggots.
Related Videos: Planting Cabbage, Broccoli and Cauliflower Q&A - How to keep worms out of my cabbage Related Resources: Guide to Spring-Planted, Cool-Season Vegetables Cabbage in the Garden March 20, 2021 |
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Pruning Apple Trees
Retired UT Extension Agent Mike Dennison shows how to prune a three year-old apple tree. The first thing to do is to prune scaffold limbs – The limbs coming out of the main trunk or central leader – to one whorl of limbs every 18-20 inches going up the trunk. Mike talks about why he chose to cut the limbs he did. After that he looked for any crossing branches or branches growing back toward the center of the tree. Finally, he tipped or headed back about one third of last year’s growth by cutting just above a bud that was pointed in the direction he wanted the branch to grow.
Related Videos: Fruit Tree Pruning Pruning Nectarines, Peaches, and Plums TWIG–Tools for Pruning Trees Related Resources: Home Tree Fruit Plan Pruning Neglected Fruit Trees Pruning & Training Apple & Pear Trees Training and pruning apple trees March 13, 2021 |
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LettuceMaster Gardener Tom Mashour talks about lettuce. There are three main kinds of lettuce: head or iceberg, romaine, and leaf. Iceberg lettuce requires a long cool season to grow so it is hard to grow in the Mid-South. Romaine is much better in this climate and has very few bug problems. Leaf lettuce can also be grown. One of the great things about lettuce is that it can be eaten from the time it sprouts so you can eat the thinnings out of your garden.
Related Videos: Lettuce seeds When is the right time to plant lettuce and other leafy greens? Cool Season Vegetables Related Resources: Lettuce Lettuce in the Garden Guide to Spring-Planted, Cool-Season Vegetables March 13, 2021 |
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How a Tree Works
Certified Arborist Wes Hopper explains the basics of how trees work. Trees use photosynthesis to convert nutrients into sugars for the tree to use. Wes also explains how the vascular system in the tree transports water and nutrients from the roots up to the leaves, and the sugars from photosynthesis from the leaves to the other parts of the tree. Wes shows the different layers of a tree trunk and talks about what each layer does. He talks about the different kinds of roots and what they do. Wes also talks about how trees react to high summer heat.
Related Videos: Translocation Encouraging Tree Feeder Root Growth Planting a Tree Related Resources: Tree Physiology Trees The Cornell Guide for Planting and Maintaining Trees and Shrubs March 6, 2021 |
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The Worst Weeds
What are the worst weeds in your garden? Retired UT Extension Agent Mike Dennison goes over several lists of the worst weeds and throws in some weeds of his own.
Related Videos: Controlling Weeds Cultural Lawn Weed Control Lawn Weed Killer Application Related Resources: Weed Identification Photos Common Weeds of the Yard and Garden Weed Control Guide March 6, 2021 |
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Tree BorersWood boring insects can cause the decline or death of a tree. UT Extension Entomologist Frank Hale says the borers tunnel into the tree and feed beneath the bark cutting off the flow of nutrients from the roots to the canopy. Usually they attack weakened or declining trees, but they can also attack healthy trees.
The wood borer feeds in the tree for a year or longer before it emerges. This is often the first time you know the tree has a borer because it leaves an exit hole in the bark. Frank talks about the ambrosia beetle which as it borers into the tree, leaves a toothpick like frass tube sticking out of the bark. The beetle larva inoculates the tree with the ambrosia fungus which they then feed on. To protect the tree an insecticide is sprayed on the bark of the tree in the spring around the time of the first 70-degree days. This is when the beetles become active and start laying eggs. Another class of borer is the clear-wing borer. They look like wasps but are really moths. These include the peachtree, lilac, and dogwood borers. The moths fly during the day and the larvae burrow into the tree, often killing it. Flatheaded borers are the larvae of metallic woodboring beetles. The beetles lay their eggs on the sunny side of a tree in the spring and the larvae hatch, burrow into the tree and feed there for about a year. Emerald ash borers are an invasive metallic woodboring beetle that has been found in eastern Tennessee. It kills all native ash trees that are not treated with systemic insecticides. The larvae girdle the tree. Frank shows what it looks like and the damage it does. To prevent the spread of the emerald ash borer, do not transport firewood or non-certified ash trees. Any tree affected by woodboring insects will begin to show signs of weakening. There will be a thinning of the leaves and branch dieback in the upper canopy. Frank also talks about the Asian longhorn beetle. That invasive wood borer has been found in the area east of Cincinnati, Ohio. It likes to attack maple trees. There are eradication efforts underway which are showing some success in preventing the spread of this insect. The publication Frank talked about (PB-1589) is available here Related Videos: Tree Holes and Borers Emerald Ash Borer TWIG - Peach Tree Borer Related Resources: Shade Tree Borers Common Tree Borers in Tennessee Insect Borers of Fruit Trees Insect Borers of Shade Trees and Woody Ornamentals February 27, 2021 |
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Plants to Avoid Around Pet
There are many plants that are dangerous or toxic to dogs and cats. TSU Extension Agent Joellen Dimond goes over some of the more common plants you may have in your house or landscape. Joellen lists annuals, perennials, fruits and vegetables, trees, and vines that pets should not eat.
The list of poisonous plants Joellen referenced is available at the ASPCA website Related Resources: Pet Friendly Gardening 10 Garden Plants That Are Toxic to Pets Toxic Plants February 27, 2021 |
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Fertilizer BasicsMadison County Extension Agent Celeste Scott talks about fertilizer. Fertilizer is described by three numbers. The first number is the percent nitrogen content. The second number is the percent phosphorus content. The third number is the percent potassium content. For example, a 15-5-10 fertilizer has 15% nitrogen, 5% phosphorus, and 10% potassium. The rest of the contents of the bag are fillers. Fillers are important to help you get an even spread on the fertilizer. Balanced fertilizers have a non 0 number in each space. Fast release fertilizers release all of their nutrients over a two to three week period. Slow release fertilizers release nutrients over a two to three month period.
Most available fertilizers are synthetic but there are organic options too. Blood meal is a source for nitrogen; bone meal is a source of phosphorus; and seaweed, kelp, or wood ashes are a source of potassium. Organic fertilizers have less nutrients than the same amount of synthetic fertilizers and are more expensive. Related Videos: How Often Do I Need to Fertilize My Vegetables? Planting and Fertilizing an Organic Garden Garden Fertilizer Math Related Resources: Fertilizers Fertilizing Your Garden Fertilizing the Organic Garden February 20, 2021 |
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How To Lay Sod
Shelby County Extension Agent Booker T. Leigh shows how to lay sod. Before you lay sod you should kill all the existing grass and weeds using a non-selective herbicide like glyphosate and then till the ground to loosen the soil. This is a great time to amend the soil so get a soil test and lime or fertilize the soil as directed. It is important to choose the correct variety of grass that will thrive in the conditions. In this case, where the grass will be under trees, Royal Zoysia was chosen because it does not require as much direct sun. When sodding in the summer water the ground before laying to cool the soil and help keep the sod moist. Rake out the ground to level it and then lay the sod. Sod is cut in a way that it fits together like a puzzle. Make sure the pieces fit together correctly. In each row the gaps in the sod should be offset from the previous row. This will prevent water channels from developing and washing out the soil. When the sod it all laid, roll the sod to press the roots into the ground to promote good root growth. You can tell if your sod it taking root because it will be difficult or impossible to pick it back up. Keep the sod moist until it has taken root.
Related Videos: Do I need to kill my existing grass before I lay sod? How much light does palisade zoysia need and when is the best time to lay sod? TWIG –Inexpensive Zoysia Lawn Cultural Lawn Weed Control Related Resources: Lawn Establishment Installing and Maintaining a Sod Lawn Turfgrass Establishment Sodding and Plugging February 20, 2021 |
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Keeping Your Orchid Alive
Orchid expert Randall Bayer talks about keeping your orchid alive and happy. Orchids live on trees in tropical areas. Their roots absorb water from the almost daily rains in those areas. The tree bark where they are growing then quickly dries out. The orchids store the water in special structures called pseudo bulbs or in their leaves.
Orchids for sale in stores are usually potted in sphagnum peat moss. The peat moss holds water and does not let the orchid roots dry out between watering like they do in the wild. This means that without special attention, the roots will rot, and the plant will die in a short time. To keep the plant from dying the orchid must be repotted. Randall repots an orchid purchased in a grocery store and shows and explains all the steps. Related Videos: When repotting an orchid should I put the air roots in the potting medium? Repotting Houseplants Related Resources: Growing Orchids in the Home Growing orchids for beginners Phalaenopsis and Paphiopedilum species; easy orchids to grow as houseplants February 13, 2021 |
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Planting Summer Flowers
TSU Extension Agent Joellen Dimond plants summer annuals in the Family Plot flower bed. This is the sixth group of flowers Joellen has planted in this bed. Over the last three years she has taken the bed from compact soil left after construction to rich loose amended soil.
Last fall she planted dusty miller and pansies. It is getting warm and it is time to pull out the pansies, but the dusty miller will continue to grow through the summer. To replace the pansies, she is planting: Bat Face Cuphea, Angelonia ‘Big Blue’, Euphorbia ‘Diamond Frost’, and begonias. Because some of the winter plants are staying Joellen does not turn over the soil. She pulls out the pansies, applies a slow release fertilizer, and plants. Then she replaces the mulch that she removed from the bed. Related Videos: Planting Summer Flowers Planting Petunias, Vinca, and Salvia Planting a Butterfly Garden Related Resources: Flowering Annuals for Georgia Gardens Annuals for Part to Full Shade Growing Annual Flowers February 13, 2021 |
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Composting
The Compost Fairy Mike Larrivee talks about how to get good compost in your garden. Mike shows what the different stages of compost look like as it breaks down. The whole process takes anywhere from a month to years depending on several factors. If you pay a lot of attention to a larger pile and turn it every few days it will break down faster. Also, to make it decompose quickly you need the correct ratio of greens and browns or nitrogen and carbon. There are other factors like moisture, heat, location, and how small the pieces are you are trying to compost. Mike also explains what is a green, what is a brown and what you should not put in a compost pile.
Related Videos: Worm Composting Turning a Compost Pile Related Resources: Composting for the Homeowner Home Composting: A Guide for Home Gardeners Cornell Composting February 6, 2021 |
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Removing Honey Bees from Houses
Honey bees are great until they move into your house. The Bartlett Bee Whisperer David Glover is a hive remover and beekeeper. He talks about the process he uses to remove beehives from houses. David says if you suspect you have a beehive in your home look at the bees, if they are black and yellow, they are not honey bees but hornets or yellowjackets. Honey bees are muted colors.
When he arrives at a home, David uses a thermal camera to find the hive in the walls. Bees keep their brood at 94 degrees and that can be seen. Most hives are in the ceiling and they are removed from the inside where repairs are easier. When the hive is removed the comb that contains the brood is saved and put into a hive box, the honey is harvested, and the queen is found and captured to be placed back into the hive later. The bees are collected with a vacuum into buckets which are later put into the hive box with the brood. If you have a beehive in your home the worst thing to do is spray them with a pesticide. The pesticide will kill at least some of the bees and make the honey inedible. The pesticide will be absorbed by the first comb and the bees will find another way out and keep growing the hive. If the bees are totally killed by the insecticide they will stink, and the honey will start to drip down inside the wall, or through the ceiling, causing structural damage. It will also attract other animals. Without pesticides, the bee remover will be able to contain the honey and clean the comb out of the structure with minimal damage. As side benefits, they can harvest the honey and save the bees. Related Videos: Beehive Tour How do I get rid of a nest of bees in my flower bed? Carpenter Bees Related Resources: Removing Bees from Walls Controlling Nuisance Honey Bees Honey Bees and Beekeeping February 6, 2021 |
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Birdhouses
Debbie Bruce from Wild Birds Unlimited talks about birdhouses. Some birds build an open cup nest. Others build in cavities in trees or birdhouses. You can tell what bird built the nest by looking at the building materials. Providing the correct building materials can assist birds in building their nests. Birdhouses for smaller birds will have a 1-1.5 inch opening and a floor space of about 4x4 inches. Larger birds such as owls will require 8x8 inch floor space and a larger opening up to 3” wide. The best birdhouses have thick enough wood to provide some insulation, a way to clean it out, drainage in the bottom, an overhang to keep the rain out, and a opening extension to keep predators from being able to reach and take nestlings. Predators can be raccoons or snakes. Putting a baffle on the pole where the bird house is mounted can keep predators from getting to the birdhouse. When putting up a house you should target the species that are in your area. If no birds come to your house in two seasons move it to a different area. Also, providing live food in your yard will attract birds, but don’t put the food too close to the birdhouse. Birds like privacy with their houses.
Related Videos: Setting Up a Bird Feeder Attracting Winter Birds Related Resources: Birdhouse Basics Bird Houses for Songbirds Attracting Birds with Birdhouses January 30, 2021 |
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Live Animal Traps
Retired Extension Agent Mike Dennison shows how to set and bait a live animal trap for raccoons or possums. There are several different mechanisms for tripping the trap. This one uses a hook to release the door. Mike places bait in the back of the trap. He uses a can of tuna which raccoons love. Then he places the trap on the ground in a place where animals are less likely to to try to get the food from the side of the trap. He then drops chunks of tuna outside the trap and in the entrance to the trap. The idea is the raccoon would follow the path of food into the trap and trip the trap once inside. To prevent the spread of disease, many states do not allow the transportation of wild animals without a license. Contact your local wildlife agency or game warden to learn your local laws and regulations.
Related Videos: How do you get rid of moles without using traps? Fences to Keep the Critters Out of the Garden Common Garden Pests Related Resources: Managing Nuisance Animals and Associated Damage Around the Home Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency FAQ on Animal Damage Control Nuisance Wildlife Control: A Training Manual: Tools and Techniques January 30, 2021 |
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Raptors
Raptors or birds of prey can help control rodent population in the garden. Mary Schmidt from Lichterman Nature Center says all raptors are carnivores. They have three main features that set them apart from other birds: talons, a curved beak, and good eyesight. There are many different kinds of raptors including hawks, eagles, and owls and she talks about each kind. Most raptors eat small rodents like mice, rats, voles, chipmunks, or squirrels, which can all be problems for gardeners. Other raptors eat birds. The best way to encourage raptor populations in your area is to not use rodenticides as these poisons will build-up and kill the raptors eating the poisoned animals. Mary brought a live owl to show some of the features of birds of prey.
Related Videos: Owls Wildlife Friendly Gardens Bird Feeders Related Resources: Attracting Birds of Prey for Rodent Control Attracting Wildlife for Pest Control on Farmland What makes a bird a raptor? January 23, 2021 |
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Fences to Keep the Critters Out of the Garden
There are many fences available and some do better than others at keeping animals out of the garden. Retired UT Extension Agent Mike Dennison talks about the different kinds. Wooden privacy fences will keep deer out of the garden. Adding metal mesh buried under the wood fence will keep out rabbits. But raccoons will be able to climb over a wood fence and wooden fences are expensive. A less expensive option is poly deer fence, but that is still not as effective as an electric fence. Mike talks about electric fences and how to put them up to keep both deer-sized and raccoon-sized animals out of the garden. Electric fences are very effective with minimal effort and cost.
Related Videos: Nuisance Wildlife: Deer Common Garden Pests Live Animal Traps Related Resources: Preventing Deer Damage How to Build a Plastic Mesh Deer Exclusion Fence Problem Wildlife in the Garden and Yard January 23, 2021 |
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Gardening in 5-Gallon Buckets
If you don’t have the space or time for an in-ground garden, planting vegetables in five-gallon buckets is a great option. UT Extension County Director Walter Battle shows how to plant a tomato in a five-gallon bucket. Make sure your bucket is safe to use. Don’t use a bucket that has been used for chemicals or oil-based substances. Walter recommends using a new bucket. Walter drills holes in the bottom of the bucket and places a piece of landscape fabric in the bottom to keep the soil from running out. He adds some rock to the bottom for drainage and then soil. He also adds some manure for nutrients and plants a tomato plant. Tomatoes like to be planted deep, so he adds more soil around the plant. He also talks about how to water the plant and take care of it. Walter talks briefly about growing other vegetables like peppers and squash in buckets.
Related Videos: Planting an Herb and Flower Container Garden Building Raised Bed Related Resources: DIY Basic Bucket Garden Container Gardening Growing Vegetable in Containers January 16, 2021 |
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Easy to Grow Herbs
An herb is any useful plant, but most often they are used to flavor food. Reni Erskine, president of the Memphis Herb Society talks about four easy-to-grow herbs and how she grows them.
First is flat-leafed or Italian parsley. It is easier to grow than the curly-leafed varieties. If you let the parsley bolt it will reseed. Very few insects eat parsley, but parsley is a favorite food for the caterpillar of the swallowtail butterfly. Dill is another of Reni’s favorites. Dill is a good herb to use with fish or in a vinaigrette or sauce. Dill grows best when planted in the fall. It tends to bolt in the heat of summer, but it will reseed itself as well. Chives give a light onion taste to food and are easy to grow. She also shows garlic chives which grow prolifically and like to take over. Both chives have flowers that are both beautiful and a great addition to salads. Basil is a favorite herb for many people. There are many different kinds with different flavors. It does well in the windowsill in the kitchen. Basil also works well as a companion plant for tomatoes. Most herbs like moist well-drained soil. Growing many kinds of herbs in among vegetables reduces insect pressure on the vegetables. Related Videos: Planting an Herb and Flower Container Garden Preserving Herbs Related Resources: Growing Herbs Indoor Herb Gardening January 16, 2021 |
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Organic Gardening
Gardening Expert Tonya Ashworth talks about organic gardening in the home garden. There is no single definition for organic gardening. Organic gardening in the home garden is trying to grow food using all natural products including not using synthetic pesticides. It may be difficult to control insects and diseases when growing things organically. Because of this diseases need to be prevented because they are difficult to sure. For example, mulch can help prevent blight on tomatoes by keeping the fungus spores in the soil from splashing on the lower leaves. Growing a disease resistant variety will also help. Crop rotation can reduce disease pressure. Tonya shows some organic products that can be used including: insecticidal soap, BT, horticultural oil, neem oil, sulfur, Pyrethrin, diatomaceous earth.
Related Videos: Planting and Fertilizing an Organic Garden Organic Gardening Related Resources: Growing an Organic Garden—The Fundamentals Growing Vegetables Organically Organic Vegetable Gardening Techniques January 9, 2021 |
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Worm Composting
Bill Abresch from Happy Daze Worm Farm talks about worm composting basics. Worms break down organic matter in the soil. They also produce worm castings which is nutrient rich. You can feed them with the same scraps you would put in a compost pile. Bill talks about how he starts a worm colony, feeds them and then gathers the castings to put on his plants. Worm castings are very high in bacteria which benefit plants when put into the soil.
Related Videos: Composting Turning a Compost Pile Related Resources: Worm Composting Earthworms Vermicomposting - Composting with Worms January 9, 2021 |
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Building a Grow Light
Building a homemade grow light stand is cheap and easy. It will cost about $26. You will need an 8 foot 2x4, 8 screws, a couple wood scraps, and a fluorescent light fixture. Master Gardener Tom Mashour shows how to put it together. Grow stands provide the light seedlings need to grow before it gets warm enough to put them outdoors in the spring. They can also be used to provide light to plants you bring in for the winter.
Related Videos: What light do you need when you put plants in the garage for the winter? Starting Fall Vegetables From Seed Related Resources: Starting seeds indoors Starting Plants Indoors From Seeds Starting Seeds Indoors January 2, 2021 |
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Finding Good Gardening Advice Online
There are many internet sites that have bad or misleading gardening information. UT Extension Horticultural Specialist Carol Reese talks about how to find the good information.
Her first piece of advice: be wary of sites that are trying to sell you something. They may not be telling you the whole truth. National and big box store websites often have information that does not apply to your area or climate. Carol also recommends going to .edu sites where there is information backed up by scientific research. There is a problem even at a .edu site: the publication you are looking at may be old and out of date. Check web sites from several different states to make sure there is a consensus as to what to do. Another good place to go are the web sites of professional organizations. They have an interest in giving you good information. Along the same lines there are many large plant societies that focus on one species. They are looking to provide accurate information to help their members and others who have in interest in that plant. Related Videos: Gardening Resources Gardening Ergonomics Related Resources: Finding accurate information on the Internet Criteria to Evaluate the Credibility of WWW Resources January 2, 2021 |
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Viburnum
TSU Extension Agent Joellen Dimond talks about viburnum. There is allot of variety within viburnum. Some viburnum are shrubs, but others can grow as large as a tree. Depending on the type, they are deciduous, evergreen, or semi-evergreen. There are several things all viburnum do: they bloom in the spring with white or pink flowers, they also have red fruit that turns to purple if it stays on the plant. The berries are good food for birds. Viburnum likes full sun but will grow in a fairly shady location with a reduction in blooming. They are very tolerant of wet soils, but they do not like wet feet.
Joellen talks about several varieties of viburnum that she likes including David Viburnum (Viburnum davidii), which is a smaller plant; Korean spice viburnum (Viburnum carlesii) with fragrant flowers; Doublefile Viburnum (Viburnum plicatum tomentosum) which produces many berries; and leather leaf viburnum (Viburnum rhytidophyllum) which has thick leaves. Related Videos: Pineapple Lily What is This Plant? Allium Related Resources: Viburnum Viburnum Diseases and Insect Pests December 26, 2020 |
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Aster
TSU Extension Agent Joellen Dimond talks about asters. Asters have been the subject of allot of scientific research, and as a result of DNA testing many plants traditionally thought of as asters have been reclassified. But, many plants that are not technically asters anymore are still called aster. Most asters found in garden centers are Symphyotrichum novi-belgii. There are many cultivars of these asters with many different color flowers. All asters bloom in the fall and most have very vibrant colors. Native asters are available from seed catalogs and you can find asters blooming in the fall in nature. Asters like full sun and well-drained soil. Joellen shows a cutting from a fragrant aster.
Related Videos: Sowing Wildflowers Fall and Winter Flowers Related Resources: Asters Growing Fall Asters December 26, 2020 |
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Fall and Winter Fruit Tree Care
Retired UT Extension Agent Mike Dennison talks about how to care for fruit trees in fall and winter. As fruit trees go dormant for the winter you should clean up under the trees. Get rid of fallen leaves, branches, and fruit. These items may harbor diseases and removing them will lessen disease pressure next year. Dispose of these in the trash or burn them. Over the winter you can spray dormant oil and fungicides to kill overwintering bugs and disease. Dormant oils will control many insects. Lime Sulphur will help control bacterial and fungal diseases. Fixed copper controls fungal diseases. Mike gives recommendations on when and how to use each of these. Always read and follow label directions. Another thing you can do is paint the trunk of the fruit tree with white latex paint. This acts as a sunscreen and will help keep the bark from splitting from freeze-thaw cycles in the winter and spring. Finally, fall and winter is the time to start thinking about ordering new trees to plant next year.
Related Videos: Fruit Tree Rootstock Basics Fruit Tree Pruning Related Resources: Growing Fruits: Care of Mature Backyard Apple Trees Fruit Tree Management Timetable December 26, 2020 |
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Spirea
TSU Extension Agent, Joellen Dimond talks, about Spriea and some of the available cultivars. Spirea is a blooming deciduous shrub. Traditionally, they are very large but there are many new smaller cultivars available including dwarf varieties that grow to about one foot tall. Depending on the cultivar you can have blooms from spring till frost including through the heat of the summer. Some varieties also have beautiful colorful leaves. Spirea likes well drained soil but can tolerate many soil conditions.
Related Videos: Planting Shrubs in Wet Heavy Soil Abelia Related Resources: Spirea Using Trees and Shrubs for Privacy and Wind Screening Selecting Landscape Plants: Deciduous Shrubs December 19, 2020 |
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Dealing with Landscape Professionals
Madison County Extension Agent, Celeste Scott, talks about the different types of landscape professionals and gives tips on how to have your landscape project go smoothly and get what you want.
Landscape architects have engineering experience and design the overall master plan. They are less concerned with the plants and more with the overall flow and function of the space. Landscape designers are more artistic and make the plant choices and plant design for the area. If your project is not extensive you can hire a landscape designer and forgo the architect as architects can be expensive. Landscape contractors move the dirt and do the installation of the plants. Landscape designers on a small project may do the contractor work themselves. Celeste also gives some tips for project success including: - Build a relationship with the professional you are hiring. Be open and able to communicate with them. - Have a budget in place before you start. - Be open about what you want in the landscaped area. - Make sure you sign a contract. - Identify your personal garden style and communicate it to the professional. Related Videos: Landscaping Principles Planting a Tree Related Resources: Choosing a Landscape Professional Landscaping Your Front Yard Low Maintenance Landscape Ideas December 19, 2020 |
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Microgreens
University of Tennessee Assistant Professor of Residential and Consumer Horticulture Natalie Bumgarner talks about how to grow microgreens. Microgreens are young edible plants that can be used as garnishes for other dishes or used as an entire salad. The plants have developed their first true set of leaves before they are harvested, usually about two weeks after they are planted. Anything that has an edible leaf and stem can be grown as a microgreen. Some of the commonly grown plants include: Cabbage, Broccoli, herbs, lettuce and amaranth. Natalie uses a soil-less germination mix that already has fertilizer in it. Because the harvest time is so short you usually don’t need to add more fertilizer. They need to be grown in high light locations but not in direct sun because they will dry out and die. Under porches or even in a bright window will work. Because the plants are so close together it is important to keep the stems dry to prevent disease. Watering from the bottom of the tray keeps them dry. Microgreens are best harvested by a pair of scissors. They do not store well so harvest them as you need them.
Related Videos: Young Tree Checkup Nursery Plant Selection Related Resources: Microgreens Growing Microgreens for the Mississippi Gardener Growing Microgreens In Your Home December 12, 2020 |
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Home Mouse and Rat Control
Retired UT Extension Agent Mike Dennison talks about how to keep mice and rats out of your house and how to get rid of them once they are inside. Mice and rats have skulls that can compress allowing them to squeeze through very small spaces. Mice can get through a hole larger than ¼ inch, rats can get through a hole larger than ½ inch. To block possible entry points on your home use sheet steel or hardware cloth with ¼ inch spacing. Mike shows many different kinds of traps and bait stations including snap traps, single use traps, and humane no-kill traps. He also talks about the different kinds of bate and safety precautions that should be taken with baits and poisons.
Related Videos: Garden Rodent Control Voles Related Resources: Rat and Mouse Control Controlling House Mice Controlling Rats December 12, 2020 |
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Build a Holiday Evergreen Display
Jason Reeves from the West Tennessee AgResearch and Education Center in Jackson, demonstrates how to make beautiful holiday greenery displays using large pots and cuttings from evergreen shrubs and trees. Large plastic pots work best because they will not crack in the winter like clay pots may do. The existing soil and roots in the pots work well to hold the greenery in place. Jason adds many kinds of evergreen cuttings including junipers and cypresses. He cuts the branches at an angle and pokes them into the soil. Once he has an evergreen base he uses holly, magnolia, and branches from red twig dogwood and twisted willow to add pops of color and different textures to the arrangement. The greenery will last up to a month depending on the temperature and humidity of the air. Watering the arrangement will help it last longer. The branches stuck in the soil will draw the water from the soil and help the arrangement last.
Related Video: Making a Fall Pumpkin Display Related Resources: Holiday Decorating With Fresh Greenery Pruning Evergreens December 5, 2016 |
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Getting Tools Ready for Winter
If you take care of your tools they will take care of you. Part of that is cleaning and preparing your garden tools for winter. Retired UT Extension Agent Mike Dennison shows what he does to get his hand tools ready for winter. He uses a flat file on the metal parts of his tools to remove burs and sharpen the edges of his sharp tools. Once they are sharp, he covers the metal with penetrating oil like WD40 to prevent rust. Then he lightly sands the wood handles of his tools and applies linseed oil to the wood to protect it. The tools are now ready for winter storage and use in the spring.
Related Videos: Tools Every Gardener Needs Fall Garden Tool Care Related Resources: Caring for Your Tools Tool Care Maintaining Lawn and Garden Tools December 5, 2020 |
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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. In the late summer or early fall the fern spores on the back of the leaves are mature. Kim collects some leaves in an envelope and shows how to get the spores to release. Then she prepares a small container with germinating mix and vermiculite and dumps the spores in. After several weeks a moss-looking green covering will be seen on the soil. This is the gametophyte stage of the fern’s life cycle. If you continue to let it grow the sporophyte stage will grow, which is what we know as a fern.
Related Videos: How do I take care of Boston Ferns especially in the winter? Why are my fern fronds dying? Related Resources: Growing Ferns Growing Tropical Ferns Indoors November 28, 2020 |
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Daylily Basics
Daylilies are forgiving plants that add color to the garden. It is the favorite flower of UT Extension Agent Lucas Holman. There are over 60,000 hybrids of daylily, but there are two main distinct types: diploid and tetraploid – which refers to the number of chromosomes. Daylilies need full sun. They do well in many kinds of soil from heavy to loose. Lucas briefly talks about how to cross different plants and create new hybrids. He also talks about how to divide the plants, which is best done in the spring. If you are interested in growing daylilies Lucas recommends joining the American Hemerocallis Society which is the national daylily growing organization.
American Hemerocallis Society Website at daylilies.org Related Videos: Lily Japanese Maple Basics Related Resources: Daylilies Daylily November 28, 2020 |
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Pressing Flowers
Pressing flowers is a great way to preserve beautiful blooms and create works of art. Master Gardener Mary Heim shows how to do it. She says thinner flowers work best. She shows how to arrange the items in a flower press and then apply pressure. After several weeks the flowers will be flat and dry and can be removed and mounted for display. She shows several pressed arrangements she has done with flowers from her yard.
Related Videos: Fall and Winter Flowers Basic Ikebana Flower Arranging Related Resources: How to Press Flowers Drying Flowers and Foliage for Arrangements November 21, 2020 |
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How to Make a Lasagna Garden
Preparing a garden the traditional way – with herbicides, a shovel, and a rototiller – is hard work. Starting your beds with a lasagna garden is much easier and doesn’t require any power tools. Master Gardener Ginny Fletcher demonstrates how to build a lasagna garden. Essentially, a lasagna garden is a large compost pile built on top the ground. Ginny recommends starting by laying down several layers of cardboard or thick newspaper and watering to keep them in place. The cardboard or newspaper will smother all the existing grass and weeds without herbicide. Then she layers organic material on top as follows:
You can sprinkle bone meal, wood ash, or other amendments on the pile to contribute other nutrients. The best time to do a lasagna garden is in the fall when the layers will have time to compost over the winter so in the spring you can plant directly into the lasagna. If you build the lasagna garden in the spring, cover the layers with garden soil so your plants will have something to grow in while the rest breaks down. Related Videos: Tilling and Amending a New Garden Composting Related Resources: Sheet mulching — aka lasagna composting — builds soil, saves time Multiple benefits of a lasagna-style heritage garden November 21, 2020 |
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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: How to Plant Flower Bulbs Planting Pansies and Tulips for Winter and Spring Color Planting Daffodils, Dianthus, and Pansies Related Resources: Flowering Bulbs for Tennessee Gardens Spring Flowering Bulbs Fall Planted Bulbs and Corms November 14, 2020 |
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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 November 14, 2020 |
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Planting Pansies and Tulips for Winter and Spring Color
Even though winters are cold it is still possible to have color in your flower beds. Joellen Dimond, Director of Landscape at the University of Memphis, shows how to prepare a bed and plant pansies and tulips. She first removes all the plants and turns over the soil to break up any clods. In the process she digs up the daffodils that were planted last year and sets them aside to replant. She then turns her attention to planting the bulbs. For fertilizer, she spreads bone meal on the soil and then plants the tulips about 6 inches deep. The bone meal is incorporated into the soil as the bulbs are planted. She also replants the daffodils. Once the bulbs are planted, she spreads a slow release fertilizer and mulch. She then lays out and plants the pansies through the mulch. The bulbs are deep enough they are not disturbed by planting the pansies. The pansies will give a splash of color in the winter and the tulips and daffodils will pop up in the spring.
Past Plantings in this flower bed: Planting Summer Flowers 2016 Planting Fall Flowers 2016 Planting Petunias, Vinca, and Salvia (2017) Planting Dusty Miller and Pansies (2017) Planting Summer Flowers (2018) Planting Violas (2018) Planting Sunpatiens, Joseph's Coat, and Colocasia (2019) Planting Daffodils, Dianthus, and Pansies (2019) Related Resources: Success with Pansies in the Winter Landscape: A Guide for Landscape Professionals Darling Dianthus Spring Flowering Bulbs: Daffodils Dusty Miller, Senecio cineraria November 7, 2020 |
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Garlic
UT Extension Agent and garlic fanatic Lucas Holman talks all about garlic. There are two major types of garlic: soft neck and hard neck. Soft neck garlic is what you usually find in the store. It does not have a flower stalk through the middle of the bulb. It grows best in zones 8 and warmer. Soft neck garlic stores for up to a year. Hard neck garlic has a flower stalk and only keeps for 5-6 months. It grows best in zone 6 and colder. Both kinds can be grown successfully in zone 7.
Garlic is easy to grow. It should be planted in the ground in the fall and harvested early the next summer. It will grow a green stem in the fall and then not do much in the cold of winter. It will begin growing again in the spring. It should be fertilized, but not with nitrogen after April as that will encourage green growth not bulb formation. Lucas harvests his garlic when the bottom leaves have turned brown but there are still 5-6 green leaves on the plant. He bundles the garlic and hangs it in a well-ventilated area out of the sun to dry. After it has dried he cuts off the top and places them in net bags for storage. Related Videos: Cleaning Garlic What is this plant? - Garlic Related Resources: Growing garlic in home gardens Garlic Garlic Production for the Gardener November 7, 2020 |
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Tilling and Amending a New Garden
Retired UT Extension Agent Mike Dennison shows how to get a section of turf grass ready to become a new garden. He is doing this in the fall so the amendments have time to break down over the winter. The first thing he did was get a soil test. The soil test allows him to know exactly what to do to the ground with fertilizer and amendments. He sprayed the area that would be tilled with glyphosate (Round-up). This killed the grass. The grass yellowed but did not turn brown. This is because in the cooler weather the grass was not growing. The grass is still dead, just not brown. Then he tilled the grass. After that he added three inches of amendments to the top of the soil. Lime is best added when tilling but he did not add any because the soil test said the soil was very basic already. He then went over the soil several times with the rototiller to mix the amendments in. Mike only tilled half of the garden because the other half was too wet to work.
Related Videos: Rototilling a Garden Soil Preparation Related Resources: Soil Preparation Improving Garden Soil October 31, 2020 |
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Liming a Lawn
Liming Increases pH. Retired UT Extension Agent Mike Dennison talks about different kinds of lime - including dolomitic and agricultural lime - and then shows how to spread pelletized limestone. Before he spreads the lime, Mike uses a soil test to calculate how much lime is needed. Then he puts the correct amount in his spreader and explains how to get an even application by spreading a small amount per pass in several different directions.
Related Videos: Lawn Aeration Lawn Fertilization Related Resources: Liming Your Lawn Fertilization and Management of Home Loans October 24, 2020 |
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Starting a Compost Pile
Composting is a great way to get free fertilizer for your garden. Garden Expert Tonya Ashworth explains that compost in addition to being a great soil conditioner, contains all the macro-and micro-nutrients your plants need. She builds a compost pile and explains what to add and what not to add. She also talks about weed seeds and manure in the compost pile. She builds the compost pile from leaves, grass clippings, and kitchen scraps. She talks about how to mix and take care of the new compost pile.
Related Videos: Composting Worm Composting TWIG Turning a Compost Pile Related Resources: Composting in home gardens Home Composting October 24, 2020 |
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Scale
Scales are one of the most destructive insects on plants. TSU Extension Specialist Amy Dismukes talks about hard and soft scale and how to treat infestations on your plants.
Hard scale feeds on the very outside of the phloem layer of the plant so it is difficult to control with a systemic insecticide. They need to be controlled in the juvenile stage with horticultural oils or insect growth regulators like Talus. There are multiple generations of hard scale each year, but the best time to control them is in early spring when the crawlers are active. If you have a limited infestation, you can prune out and dispose of the problem branches. Soft scales feed deeper in the phloem layer and suck more sap that they can use. Because they have more sap passing through them, they can be effectively controlled by systemic insecticides like Imidacloprid or Dinotefuran. They also only have one generation per year. Soft scale produce honeydew which provides a surface for fungus to grow. This fungus is called sooty mold and creates a black layer on leaves, patios, sidewalks, and cars that are under plants infested with sap-sucking insects like scale. Related Videos: What do I do about the scales on my euonymus Treating Crape Myrtle Bark Scale Related Resources: Armored (Hard) Scale - Trees and Shrubs Soft Scales October 17, 2020 |
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Making a Fall Pumpkin Display
The Fall is here, and with it all the beautiful shades of orange and yellow we're used to. Horticulturist Jason Reeves shows us how to take those gorgeous hues in squash and pumpkins to make a fall display in our yards. Make sure to check your pumpkins for blemishes, and wash them in bleach mixed with water to to avoid rot. If you want some extra shine, and don't mind the artificial look, some clear shellac can add some shine to your gourds as well. Using all different sizes, shapes and colors of pumpkins can add variety to your display. Also, don't expect to come up with the perfect arrangement on the first try. Take a break if it does not seem to be working and come back to it later. Also, Jason takes a minute to show off a Tennessee dancing gourd, which spins like a top.
Related Videos: Fall and Winter Flowers Build a Holiday Evergreen Display Related Resources: Choose, Store And Decorate Pumpkins and Gourds For Fall Displays Pumpkins, gourds make attractive fall displays October 10, 2020 |
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Building a Hoop House
Chris and Master Gardener Stephan Leonard build a hoop house greenhouse on a raised bed garden. All you need to do this are a few PVC pipes, a big sheet of plastic and some simple hardware. We go step by step on how to build it. Hoop houses - like greenhouses - use the sun to warm the soil and air inside. This lets you plant your plants earlier and keep them growing later in the season when outside temperatures would kill them.
Related Videos: Cool Season Vegetables Installing a Drip Irrigation System Related Resources: Here's How To Build a Hoop House Constructing a Low-cost High Tunnel October 10, 2020 |
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Fertilizing Trees
Fertilizing trees gives them the nutrients they need, but it can help in other ways. Certified Arborist Wes Hopper talks about fertilizing trees and the different ways to do it. Roots need air and space in the soil. Certain fertilizing methods help create this space and get the fertilizer down into the ground where the tree can get it. Wes also talks about mycorrhiza and the interaction of fungus and plants. He also describes how proper fertilization will encourage tree roots to grow down and not grow on the surface. Wes also talks about pruning roots.
Related Videos: Encouraging Tree Feeder Root Growth How a Tree Works Related Resources: Fertilizing Shade Trees Fertilizing Trees & Shrubs October 3, 2020 |
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Gardening Under Trees
UT Extension Horticultural Specialist Carol Reese talks about growing plants under trees. One of the most important things to consider is the shade the tree will make. Another consideration is the competition from the tree roots. Often the area under the tree is full of roots. Covering the roots with additional soil seems like the easy fix but it may harm the tree. The tree roots need oxygen from the air so covering them will smother them. If you do need to add soil, Carol recommends mounding a light and fluffy material like gin trash or composted sawdust. The new plants will need lots of water. The light added soil will dry out quickly and the tree will suck water out of the soil.
Carol does not recommend tilling under trees but she does say that trees can handle up to about 30% of their roots being disturbed. Carol does not like vigorous ground cover because it will take over the area and spread beyond where the gardener wants it to be. In the South-east United States a woodland garden is the easiest to maintain because that is the natural state of nature. Also, the shade is nice in the summer. Related Videos: Gardening on Slopes Gardening Ergonomics Related Resources: Gardening in Shade Annual and Perennial Flower Shade Gardening in Tennessee Gardening in the Shade October 3, 2020 |
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Gardening On Slopes
UT Extension Horticultural Specialist Carol Reese talks about growing plants on slopes. Erosion is the big challenge on slopes. Water runs downhill so it will erode bare dirt. Carol says you need to do something to stop the water from running down the slope while the plants to get established. Carol recommends diverting the water to keep it from eroding. If you can’t, use terraces, either formal or temporary. Her method of temporary terracing is rows of sticks stuck in the ground with straw or pine straw against them to catch the eroding soil. When the plants are established the straw and sticks will decompose into the soil.
Carol prefers shrubs over groundcover to stop erosion on slopes. Shrubs are less expensive because you need fewer of them to cover the same area. Also with shrubs there are fewer plants to take care of before they are established. Carol likes several plants for covering slopes. Winter Jasmine is a weeping shrub that will anchor wherever it touches the ground. It also blooms in the winter. Another option that goes along with the sticks and straw above is to replace some of the sticks with plant cuttings that will root easily by themselves like elaeagnus ebbingei (ebbing’s silverberry) or forsythia. Trees are also a possibility but you will need to build a containment system while it gets established. Related Videos: Gardening Under Trees Water-Wise Gardening Related Resources: Gardening on a Hillside Gardening on Steep Slopes Raised-Bed Gardening October 3, 2020 |
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Winter Cover CropsMaster Gardener Carl Wayne Hardeman talks about the benefits of cover crops in the garden. Cover crops are planted to cover bare ground. They can be used for erosion prevention or adding nutrients and structure to the soil. Soil microbes are important to plants and live on the roots of plants. Having bare ground can starve the microbes, cover crops can feed the microbes until the next crop is planted. Good cover crops for the winter are cold hardy plants like turnip greens, rutabagas, annual rye grass, winter wheat, clover, vetch, and peas. The cover crop also helps choke out weeds that might try to grow. Legumes can be especially valuable as a cover crop because they fix nitrogen into the soil that is available for the later plants. In the spring winter cover crops can be tilled in, but also can be left and the spring planting made through the cover crop. Related Videos: Winter Garden Vegetables Fall and Winter Flowers Planting Cool Season Vegetables Related Resources: Cover Crops for Home Gardens Cover Crops Cover Crops in Missouri: Putting Them to Work on Your Farm |
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Boxwood
UT Horticultural Specialist Carol Reese talks about boxwood. There are several species of boxwood. The most common species is the English or common boxwood. These are frequently, and incorrectly, called American Boxwood – which is not a species. It comes from North Africa and western Europe. It is a picky plant. It has very specific sighting requirements regarding heat, cold, and roots. Korean and Japanese little leaf types are more tolerant to the hot summer sun. It is important before you plant to make sure you research your site and boxwood that will tolerate it. Boxwood are most often pruned to a shape by shearing the outside branches and leaves. This is not the best way to prune boxwood. They should be pruned by plucking inside branches, opening-up the plant to light to encourage growth on the inside. This method will also allow you to reduce the size of the plant. Do not prune boxwood in the fall. If you really love boxwood, there a number of societies you can join that specialize in boxwood.
Realted Videos: Boxwood When is the best time of year to prune boxwood? How do I do it? Related Resources: Boxwood Boxwood Diseases & Insect Pests The American Boxwood Society |
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Summer Rose CareIn the summer roses slow down. Their best blooms are in spring and fall. Summer is the time to get your plants ready for large fall blooms. Rose expert Bill Dickerson shows how to care for rose bushes in summer and then how to get them ready for fall. He shows the fertilizers and amendments he uses. He also talks about mulch. Bill shows how to deadhead or remove spent blooms. He also shows how to cut dead wood out of the bush. He talks about how to get roses ready for producing large blooms in the fall when the weather cools.
Related Videos: Basic Rose Care Rose Bush Pruning Related Resources: Growing Roses Pruning Roses Roses: fertilizing |
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Fall Fruit Tree Care
Retired UT Extension Agent Mike Dennison talks about fall fruit tree care. Once fruit is harvested there are several things you should do. The base of the tree should be weed free. Mike recommends bare ground. He uses a selective herbicide that will not harm the trees. Also, make sure that all mummy fruit is removed from the tree and the ground under the tree. The mummies are one place where disease and insects can overwinter. Fall is a good time to do a soil test and lime as appropriate. If your trees were blighted there is not much to do this year, but follow a spray schedule next year. Fruit trees can be planted in the fall of the year if you can find them. Fall is a good time to select and order trees for next year.
Related Videos: Planting Fruit Trees Fall and Winter Fruit Tree Care Related Resources: Home Tree Fruit Plan Fruit Tree Management Timetable Disease and Insect Control in Home Fruit Plantings |
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Starting Cool Season Vegetables From Seed
Master Gardener Tom Mashour talks about starting cool season vegetables indoors. The cool season is often not long enough to allow cool season vegetables to fully mature before frost. Starting the vegetables early in containers allows them to get a head start. Tom uses two kinds of soil mixes: germinating mix, which is very fine; and “Pro Mix,” which is what you see with nursery plants. He only uses the germinating mix for the finest of seeds. A tool called a dibble is very useful for planting seeds. You can use it to poke the hole into which you will plant the seeds. Small pots work well for planting monocot seeds (like onions) that have a more contained root system. Larger pots are useful for dicot seeds and seeds which will have a larger root system. Tom shows how to plant onions and broccoli. He also talks about the grow light he uses for the plants while they are inside.
Related Videos: Lettuce Cabbage Related Resources: Starting Seeds at Home Starting Plants Indoors From Seeds Vegetable Planting Guide |
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Figs
Bill Colvard has been growing figs for years. Figs are actually the blossom of the plant. The interior of the fig, the part that you eat is the flower and it is encapsulated by the body. Figs are from a Mediterranean climate which is hot and dry. In more humid climates figs can rot before they are ready. In humid climates like the southeast United States look for figs that have a small eye. The larger the eye the more problems you will have with fermentation and ants. There are several ways to propagate figs. The most successful way is layering which is bending a branch down to the ground and holding it there until it forms roots of its own. The bark should be wounded on the underside of the part of the branch that is in contact with the ground. The main pests of figs are ants and birds.
Related Videos: How do you know when to pick figs? When to Plant Figs Related Resources: Figs Figs in the Home Planting Fig Production Guide |
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Correct Lawn Fertilizer Application
Putting out the right amount of fertilizer, in the right way, is essential for a green, healthy lawn. UT Extension Agent Booker T. Leigh shows how to do it. He starts out talking about the importance of soil testing and soil pH. He demonstrates how to apply fertilizer so there is even coverage with no gaps. Booker also shows fertilizer burn, where a lot of fertilizer was dropped in a small area causing a brown spot. Each bag of fertilizer will have three numbers that tell the percentage of the product that is nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. Booker also gives fertilizing tips.
Related Videos: Fertilizer Basics Garden Fertilizer Math Kinds of Fertilizer Related Resources: Fertilization and Management of Home Lawns Fertilizing Lawns |
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Canning Green Beans
UT Extension Agent, Cathy Faust, shows how to cold pack can green beans so you can enjoy your garden all year. She starts by preparing her equipment including the pressure canner. Then she puts the beans in a hot jar and pours hot water over them. She leaves about one inch of headspace in the jar and adds a teaspoon of canning salt. Then she places the lid on the jar and screws the lid on fingertip tight. She puts the jars in the pressure canner and processes them. When the canner has cooled, and the pressure has returned to zero, she removes the canner lid and the jars. Cathy shows what a bad, spoiled jar of beans looks like. Find Cathy's Green Bean Canning Notes, here.
You can download the UT Extension Canning Publication that Cathy References here (PB724). Related Videos: Pressure Canning Tomatoes Preserving Herbs Canning Peaches Related Resources: Canning Vegetables Canning Foods Canning Fruits and Tomatoes |
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