Video Segments
|
|
Basic Pond Maintenance
Ponds require different levels of maintenance depending on what you want to do with it. First and foremost, Retired UT Extension Agent Mike Dennison says to not blow leaves and yard waste into the pond as this will reduce the oxygen level of the water affecting the algae eaten by the fish. There are several kinds of weeds in a pond. Spring is the best time to try to control them. Mike talks about the different kinds of weeds you will find and where they grow. There are herbicides available for pond weeds, but don’t treat your entire pond all at once, do it in several sections. Before you apply herbicide you need to calculate how much water is in the pond so you can apply at the correct rate. Always read and follow label directions. If you are serious about growing fish, you may need to get a soil test on the mud at the bottom of your pond and lime and/or fertilize your pond to encourage algae growth for your fish to eat. If you just want the pond for looks keep it mowed around the edge to discourage snakes and use mosquito fish and Bti (Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis) to reduce mosquito larvae populations.
The publication Mike referred to is available here: Managing Small Fishing Ponds and Lakes in Tennessee September 22, 2018 Related Resources: Pond Management Water Gardens and Ornamental Ponds Pond Management Guide |
|
|
Getting a Warm-Season Lawn Ready for Winter
Getting your warm-season Bermuda or zoysia lawn ready for winter will help it come back strong in the spring. UT Extension Agent Booker T. Leigh says to look for any problems in late summer and work on fixing them before the grass goes dormant for the winter. Fall is not the time to apply nitrogen fertilizer. The nitrogen will encourage the grass to produce more green tissue which will be killed in a freeze. Applying phosphorus and potassium in the fall is good if you are following a soil test recommendation. Do not de-thatch your warm-season lawn in the fall, that should be done in the spring. Putting down a pre-emerge will help prevent winter weeds. Pre-emerge needs to be applied and watered in several weeks before the target weeds germinate (end of September in Memphis, TN). You should cut the grass at the same height as you do during the summer. This will protect the roots during the winter. Remember even though the grass may look dead the roots are still alive, and they need water during dry spells.
September 22, 2018 Related Resources: Fertilization & Management of Home Lawns Home Lawns Fall Lawn Care |
|
|
Chrysanthemums
TSU Extension Agent Joellen Dimond talks about chrysanthemums or mums. Chrysanthemums are popular for fall color. Chrysanthemums are early, middle, or late blooming, that’s how the stores keep blooming mums in stock for so long. Each plant will bloom for about two weeks.
Chrysanthemums are perennials, meaning you can plant them in the ground and thy will come back the next year. They are picky about where they are planted. Joellen recommends planting them in a raised, well-drained area. When they die back in late fall, leave the dead foliage on the plant. This will help protect the crown of the plant from the cold weather. If you live in a colder area you may want to mulch around the plant and even in the branches. In the spring, remove the mulch and fertilize with a complete fertilizer. Fertilize again in June. Often chrysanthemums will try to bloom in June or early July. If you let them bloom they may or may not bloom again in the fall. If you trim off all the blooms in early July, they will bloom better in the fall. Chrysanthemums are rather fungus and insect free. The insecticide pyrethrin comes from chrysanthemums. When you buy mums at the store, Joellen recommends getting plants that are just starting to bloom, that way the blooms will last the longest. September 8, 2018 Related Resources: Chrysanthemums Growing Chrysanthemums In the Garden Growing Chrysanthemums in the Garden |
|
|
Urban Wildlife
There seems to be more wildlife in urban areas that there are in rural areas. Retired UT Extension Agent Mike Dennison says this may be because the animals feel safer close to humans and farther from their natural predators. Mike reviews some numbers on deer. The deer population in the United States is increasing and every year there are over a million car-deer collisions costing billions of dollars. He gives some tips for avoiding accidents with deer. He also talks about how to use electric fencing to keep them out. He also talks about smaller wildlife: racoons, snakes, and rodents. The best way to take care of them is exclusion using fences or hardware cloth. You should cover all openings to your house: chimneys, crawl space openings and spaces under the eves in your attic. Mike talks about what to use and how to use it to not trap an animal inside. There are many large hawks in the area. These normally feed on mice but will also occasionally carry away small pets.
September 8, 2018 Related Resources: Dealing with Nuisance Wildlife Control and management of deer Prevention and Control of Wildlife Damage - Mammals |
|
|
Best Trees for Fall Color
TSU Extension Agent Joellen Dimond gives a list of trees she thinks have the best fall color. Her picks include the standbys like oaks and maples, but also more exotic selections like the Persian ironwood and Japanese Katsura. She also talks about some desirable characteristics of each outside of fall.
September 1, 2018 Related Resources: Fall Foliage Tree List Changing Colors of Leaves Top Fall Trees in United States |
|
|
Planting Fall Vegetables
Retired UT Extension Agent Mike Dennison shows how to plant fall cool season crops. He is planting in the same area where corn grew earlier in the year, so he has to start by removing the dead corn stalks and weeds growing in that area. Then, Mike lays out the spacing: 18” between the cabbage, broccoli, and cauliflower; and 18” between the rows of lettuce and spinach. He then plants the seeds. The ground was pre-irrigated, but the area will need to be watered if it gets too dry.
Mike referred to the publication: Fall Vegetable Gardens September 1, 2018 Related Resources: Fall Gardening Planting vegetables in midsummer for fall harvest The Fall Vegetable Garden |
|
|
Grass Lawn Alternatives
TSU Extension Agent Joellen Dimond gives some ideas for what to do if you are tired of maintaining your grass lawn. Before you run out and kill your grass you need to determine your needs for landscape. Do you have children that want to play or pets? The options run the gamut in price from an expensive pool to hardscape to bare gravel and mulch to shrubs to meadows. Even without grass there is still maintenance that must be done on any landscape.
August 11, 2018 Related Resources: Alternatives to Lawn Replacing Turf Grass With Pollinator Friendly Lawn Alternatives Shady lawn alternatives |
|
Didn't find what you were looking for?
|