Essential Care Tips for Cool-Season Lawns in the Southeast

From Family Plot. Cool season grasses like tall fescue and bluegrass can grow in the southern US, but they require special care. More Garden Videos: youtube.com/@FamilyPlotGarden UT Extension Agent Joseph Seago gives tips for successfully growing cool season grasses in the hot climate of the Southeastern U.S. He gives maintenance practices, including interseeding, irrigation, and…

Planting Fruit Trees: Prepare in the Fall to Plant in the Spring

From Family Plot. Preparation will help your fruit tree succeed. More Videos: youtube.com/@UC1yWvD192f3gHZ08_T-k5lQ More Info: familyplotgarden.com A fruit tree is a long-term investment in the garden. Preparation for your new tree should begin months before you actually put it in the ground. Retired UT Extension Agent Mike Dennison reviews how to plan for a new…

Bromeliads 101: A Beginners Guide to Care and Common Issues

From Family Plot. Bromeliad plant care, life cycle, bloom, possible problems. More garden videos: https://youtube.com/@FamilyPlotGarden Bromeliads are a diverse family of plants featuring around 2,500 species and thousands of varieties. They are known for their striking foliage and vibrant colors. University of Memphis Director of Landscape Joellen Dimond reviews common types of Bromeliads, and tells…

Stop the Invader! How to Control Japanese Privet

From Family Plot. Japanese privet is very invasive. Birds spread the seeds and it can now be found growing everywhere and displacing native plants. University of Memphis Director of Landscape Joellen Dimond shows how to kill a vigorous privet plant both with and without chemicals. Subscribe now to Family Plot for more gardening videos like…

Stop Voles from Eating Your Plants: Build a Bulb Cage

From Family Plot. Voles love to feast on your most prized plants. They especially like tulip bulbs, lilies and hostas. You can keep them away by putting your plants in a homemade underground bulb cage. University of Memphis Director of Landscape Joellen Dimond shows how to build a cage with a few simple supplies that…

Mite Damage on Bell Peppers

From Family Plot. These bell peppers have brown textured skin. Extension Agent Chris Cooper says this is probably damage from mites that fed on this fruit when the pepper was just starting to develop. The brown texture can be scraped away and the pepper is still edible. Subscribe now to Family Plot for more gardening…

Tomato Plant Protection Test: Results

From Family Plot. It’s been four months since we planted three cherry tomato plants. Some plants were mulched, and one was sprayed with fungicide. These are the results so far: 1. The tomato plant that has no mulch and no fungicide has the most disease and fungus. 2. The tomato plant with only mulch has…

Common Insecticides: When and How to Use Them

From Family Plot. There are many insecticides on the market today. Using the correct insecticide at the right time can allow you to control pests in the garden while minimizing the effects on beneficial insects. Retired UT Extension Agent Mike Dennison lists insecticides available to the homeowner and gives a brief description and when to…

Squash Bug Infestation: Insecticides to Protect Your Plants

From Family Plot. Squash Bug Infestation: Insecticides to Protect Your Plants Squash bugs can infest cucumber plants, causing damage by feeding on stems and fruit. These pests are equipped with piercing-sucking mouthparts, which can also spread diseases and viruses. Retired UT Extension Agent Mike Dennison talks about chemical options for controlling squash bugs in the…

Tagging Monarch Butterflies: A Step-by-Step Guide

From Family Plot. Anyone can tag monarch butterflies. Your help provides scientists valuable insights into their migration journey from North America to Central Mexico and anyone in the eastern United States can help do the research. Mary Schmidt from Lichterman Nature Center shows how you can participate in the science. Each butterfly is marked with…

Essential Fungicides for Vegetables, Fruits, and Ornamentals

From Family Plot. Fungicides can play an essential role in plant health management both in food crops and ornamentals. Retired UT Extension Agent Mike Dennison explains the various types of garden fungicides, including old standbys like chlorothalonil, mancozeb, and captan; newer options like Myclobutanil, Propiconazole, Tebuconazole; and organic fungacides like sulfur and neem oil. He…

Boost Your Bloom: How to Pinch Cosmos for More Flowers!

From Family Plot. Pinching summer annuals, such as cosmos, is a technique used to encourage more branching and increase the number of blooms. UT Extension Horticulture Specialist Celeste Scott shows how to remove the top portion of the plant. This method speeds up the natural branching process, leading to a fuller and more vibrant plant.…

Drip Tape Setup 101: Essential Tips for Efficient Garden Irrigation

From Family Plot. Drip tape irrigation provides an efficient way to deliver water directly to plant roots. UT Extension Horticulture Specialist Celeste Scott shows how to connect the different parts to assemble an irrigation system tailored to your beds. She shows how to troubleshoot common issues, and incorporate landscape fabric to improve efficiency. This approach…

Control Weeds in the Vegetable Garden: Using Landscape Fabric

From Family Plot. Landscape fabric is often used around perennials, but it can also be used to almost eliminate weeds in the vegetable garden. Horticulturist Jason Reeves shows a planting of pumpkins and other squash that has no weeds thanks to the landscape fabric. He also talks about how landscape fabric helps conserve water. Subscribe…

Bagworms: Summer Care Tips

From Family Plot. Bagworms are a serious pest of conifers and occasionally deciduous plants. UT Horticulture Specialist Celeste Scott identifies a bagworm hanging from an arborvitae. She says summer is not the time to spray because the worms are safe in their bags where insecticide can’t get them. If you want to spray, she says…