WEBVTT 00:00.500 --> 00:02.135 Hi, thanks for joining us for 00:02.135 --> 00:04.271 "The Family Plot: Gardening in the Mid-South." 00:04.271 --> 00:05.672 I'm Chris Cooper. 00:05.672 --> 00:08.475  There are several ways   to propagate your plants. 00:08.475 --> 00:12.246  We'll take a look at using seeds   and cutting to get new plants. 00:12.246 --> 00:16.617  Also, in the spring, the grass   comes up but so do the weeds. 00:16.617 --> 00:19.620  We'll let you know how to cut   down on your weed problems. 00:19.620 --> 00:20.621  That's just ahead on.. 00:20.621 --> 00:22.623  "The Family Plot:   Gardening in the Mid-South." 00:22.623 --> 00:25.158 (female announcer)  Production funding for 00:25.158 --> 00:29.396  "The Family Plot: Gardening in   the Mid-South" is provided by 00:29.396 --> 00:33.667  Good Winds Landscape and Garden   Center in Germantown since 1943 00:33.667 --> 00:36.770  and continuing to offer its   plants for successful gardening 00:36.770 --> 00:39.773  with seven greenhouses   and three acres of plants 00:39.773 --> 00:42.075  plus comprehensive    landscape services.. 00:42.075 --> 00:55.522 [soft music] 00:55.522 --> 01:05.065 [theme music] 01:05.065 --> 01:06.199 Welcome to "The Family Plot." 01:06.199 --> 01:07.234 I'm Chris Cooper. 01:07.234 --> 01:09.503 Joining me today is Kim Rucker. 01:09.503 --> 01:12.339  Kim is the greenhouse and   cutting garden manager at the 01:12.339 --> 01:13.840  Dixon Gallery   and Gardens. 01:13.840 --> 01:15.342  And Booker T. Leigh is here. 01:15.342 --> 01:18.578  Booker is a U-T Extension agent   right here in Shelby County. 01:18.578 --> 01:19.580  Thanks for joining me. 01:19.580 --> 01:20.580 Glad to be here. 01:20.580 --> 01:21.581 Alright, Kim. 01:21.581 --> 01:23.583 We're going to talk about propagation. 01:23.583 --> 01:24.918 So, here's the first question. 01:24.918 --> 01:29.656 What is propagation and why do we need to propagate? 01:29.656 --> 01:30.824 Well, propagation. 01:30.824 --> 01:33.393 If you're like most gardeners, once you get the gardening 01:33.393 --> 01:37.130 fever, you just want to acquire more and more plants. 01:37.130 --> 01:41.735 And when you learn to propagate, it's a skill set that you learn. 01:41.735 --> 01:45.639 Plus, it's a way to get new plants without.. 01:45.639 --> 01:47.507 It's economical. 01:47.507 --> 01:49.309 So, you want to get us started? 01:49.309 --> 01:50.310 (Kim)  Sure. 01:50.310 --> 01:52.312 There are several ways to propagate. 01:52.312 --> 01:56.717 The easiest, to me, one of the easiest is to seed. 01:56.717 --> 01:57.985 It's very economical. 01:57.985 --> 01:59.720 It's a quick fix. 01:59.720 --> 02:01.989 You get plants fairly quickly. 02:01.989 --> 02:06.226 A lot of people are interested in vegetable gardening now. 02:06.226 --> 02:10.364 So, it's very easy to seed your vegetables. 02:10.364 --> 02:12.566 There are basically two types of seeding. 02:12.566 --> 02:17.704 Direct seeding or in situ, which means you take your seeds. 02:17.704 --> 02:21.942 You go out in the yard and you plant them in your prepared bed. 02:21.942 --> 02:24.711 A lot of your vegetables, you can do that way. 02:24.711 --> 02:27.848 Especially if they have -- the plant is going 02:27.848 --> 02:29.683 to have a tap root. 02:29.683 --> 02:31.685 Those don't usually transplant real well. 02:31.685 --> 02:33.687 So, you want to start those outside. 02:33.687 --> 02:37.591 The other is indirect seeding. 02:37.591 --> 02:41.828 And usually what that involves is seeding in to a container of 02:41.828 --> 02:43.130 some sort. 02:43.130 --> 02:45.999 And then you usually end up transplanting at least once or 02:45.999 --> 02:49.169 twice before you actually move it in to the spot where you are 02:49.169 --> 02:51.538 going to grow it on. 02:51.538 --> 02:55.275 We do a lot of indirect seeding at the Dixon. 02:55.275 --> 03:00.847 And so, basically what I do with the indirect seeding is this is 03:00.847 --> 03:02.482 our seeding tray. 03:02.482 --> 03:05.152 And I've got little cells. 03:05.152 --> 03:06.720 We put a special mix in there. 03:06.720 --> 03:08.321 It's basically just a soil mix. 03:08.321 --> 03:09.389 It's a little looser. 03:09.389 --> 03:12.059 And we put one seed per cell. 03:12.059 --> 03:18.198 And that's just because it's easier to transplant. 03:18.198 --> 03:20.200 So, you don't have to divide them. 03:20.200 --> 03:21.835 And we do quite a few. 03:21.835 --> 03:23.837 And usually the seeds we're using, 03:23.837 --> 03:25.839 the germination rate is really high. 03:25.839 --> 03:29.810 So, we know if we need 40 plants and I seed 42 seeds, 03:29.810 --> 03:31.812 I'm going to get at least 40 plants. 03:31.812 --> 03:34.314 A lot of that depends on your germination rate. 03:34.314 --> 03:36.450 Let me ask you this before you go. 03:36.450 --> 03:38.885 So, can a homeowner get these seed trays? 03:38.885 --> 03:43.557 A lot of times you'll see them in the big box stores and they 03:43.557 --> 03:45.092 come in a big flat. 03:45.092 --> 03:47.961 This has actually been cut in half. 03:47.961 --> 03:50.130 And then it'll have a dome on the top. 03:50.130 --> 03:53.500 Sometimes they'll already have the soil in them and it'll have 03:53.500 --> 03:55.902 a little tray that holds water on the bottom. 03:55.902 --> 03:57.370 That's what this tray is for. 03:57.370 --> 04:02.375 We actually seed in to dry mix and then pour warm water on to 04:02.375 --> 04:04.611 the tray and let it soak up from the bottom. 04:04.611 --> 04:07.180 You don't want to water on top of this because your seed is 04:07.180 --> 04:09.416 going to wash out. 04:09.416 --> 04:10.951 That's good to know. 04:10.951 --> 04:12.552 That's real good to know. 04:12.552 --> 04:13.787 Once they get.. 04:13.787 --> 04:14.921 These are some seedlings. 04:14.921 --> 04:17.457 It's Aquilegia or Columbine that we seeded. 04:17.457 --> 04:24.231 And these were actually seeded on January 23rd. 04:24.231 --> 04:25.465 But these are.. 04:25.465 --> 04:27.167 We call these plugs. 04:27.167 --> 04:28.568 And what we do.. 04:28.568 --> 04:31.304 Once they get their second set of true leaves, 04:31.304 --> 04:36.076 what we do is we just kind of squeeze it like this. 04:36.076 --> 04:39.346 And then I usually take a bamboo stick. 04:39.346 --> 04:44.050 And you just poke up the bottom and it just pops out. 04:44.050 --> 04:45.051 And there's your plug. 04:45.051 --> 04:46.486 Sorry, I'm making a mess. 04:46.486 --> 04:49.456 And then you just move that to the next sized pot 04:49.456 --> 04:50.457 and you grow them on. 04:50.457 --> 04:53.693  That's actually the   pink flowers down there. 04:53.693 --> 04:54.694  Those, actually.. 04:54.694 --> 04:57.097  The seed is about the   size of a grain of pepper. 04:57.097 --> 04:58.865  It's very tiny. 04:58.865 --> 05:02.235  And then in 12 to 14   weeks, that's what I have. 05:02.235 --> 05:04.838  So, and that's   another important thing, 05:04.838 --> 05:05.839 the seeding. 05:05.839 --> 05:08.909 You need to decide when you want your plant and then count back 05:08.909 --> 05:12.479 the number of weeks that it tells you on the package that it 05:12.479 --> 05:14.481 takes for the plant to get that size. 05:14.481 --> 05:19.686 So, with the snap dragon there, we actually seed those. 05:19.686 --> 05:21.688 We want them about the first of February. 05:21.688 --> 05:24.024 So, I count back 12 to 14 weeks. 05:24.024 --> 05:26.026 And that's usually the end of October, 05:26.026 --> 05:27.027 first of November. 05:27.027 --> 05:28.461 That's when I seed it. 05:28.461 --> 05:31.064 Usually a month later, I can up-pot it to the 05:31.064 --> 05:33.600 first small pot. 05:33.600 --> 05:35.602 And then we move them in to the big gallons. 05:35.602 --> 05:38.738 And then it's very important for us for timing. 05:38.738 --> 05:42.843 Because I want the flowers for the arrangements in the museum. 05:42.843 --> 05:44.845 So, I have to have them on a certain schedule. 05:44.845 --> 05:45.845 It's pretty neat. 05:45.845 --> 05:47.447 Can we get to the cuttings? 05:47.447 --> 05:51.084 On the cuttings, there are several ways to vegetatively 05:51.084 --> 05:53.253 propagate something, which basically with that, 05:53.253 --> 05:55.889 you're going to get the identical plant 05:55.889 --> 05:56.890 that you're working with. 05:56.890 --> 05:59.793 And there are several ways to do this. 05:59.793 --> 06:02.829 You can do stem cuttings with herbaceous plants. 06:02.829 --> 06:05.332 That's real good for your annuals. 06:05.332 --> 06:09.069 My mom always kept Coleus in the window sill. 06:09.069 --> 06:12.372 She would save them from the season before. 06:12.372 --> 06:15.008 And you just take a cutting. 06:15.008 --> 06:17.377 And what I do is we call this the mother plant. 06:17.377 --> 06:21.281 And we keep several of these and we take cuttings off of it. 06:21.281 --> 06:22.649 But you just find a stem. 06:22.649 --> 06:24.751 And you want it not real flexible. 06:24.751 --> 06:26.753 That means it's the newer growth. 06:26.753 --> 06:29.456 But you want to get it back just a little bit 06:29.456 --> 06:31.358 to where it's not real stiff. 06:31.358 --> 06:34.761 What I usually do, you can take it off here. 06:34.761 --> 06:38.665 And you'll usually hear as much as feel a little snap. 06:38.665 --> 06:39.899 And you can do it that way. 06:39.899 --> 06:41.901 It's really best to cut because you end up tearing. 06:41.901 --> 06:42.903 But the next.. 06:42.903 --> 06:44.904 It's really very easy to do this. 06:44.904 --> 06:47.807 You can either root it by dipping it in hormone and then 06:47.807 --> 06:51.411 sticking it in soil. 06:51.411 --> 06:53.446 Or with these, I like to start them in water. 06:53.446 --> 06:54.447 It's just easier. 06:54.447 --> 06:55.448 It's quicker. 06:55.448 --> 06:57.717 But you just take your leaves and strip them off. 06:57.717 --> 07:00.520 And then you want several leaf nodes. 07:00.520 --> 07:02.155 One, two, three. 07:02.155 --> 07:05.392 Down in to the water or in to the soil. 07:05.392 --> 07:06.393 So, that's what. 07:06.393 --> 07:10.864 And then this is what you get in about two weeks. 07:10.864 --> 07:12.866 And then you just stick that. 07:12.866 --> 07:13.867 Two weeks. 07:13.867 --> 07:15.869 (Chris)  And that's just in water. 07:15.869 --> 07:16.870 That's just in water. 07:16.870 --> 07:18.872 We usually set it in a window sill 07:18.872 --> 07:19.873 where it gets indirect light. 07:19.873 --> 07:20.874 Good light but indirect light. 07:20.874 --> 07:24.644 And then we just pot those in to a soil mix. 07:24.644 --> 07:29.749 The other that's kind of an herbaceous. 07:29.749 --> 07:32.953 There's also semi hardwood and hardwood cuttings. 07:32.953 --> 07:36.022 The box wood, we don't do a lot of those. 07:36.022 --> 07:39.559 We do it more for demonstration and just what we call playing. 07:39.559 --> 07:45.165 You usually use the past year's growth. 07:45.165 --> 07:47.734 And what you do is you find a stem that's the same thing. 07:47.734 --> 07:49.202 Not real hard. 07:49.202 --> 07:52.872 It's somewhat woody but, you know, 07:52.872 --> 07:54.874 it's not like this major stem here. 07:54.874 --> 07:56.943 But what you do is you just stick it. 07:56.943 --> 07:58.378 Cut it off. 07:58.378 --> 08:00.513 Use good, clean clippers. 08:00.513 --> 08:03.383 We like to clean them in between with alcohol. 08:03.383 --> 08:06.186 We want to make sure we get a clean cut, as well. 08:06.186 --> 08:08.188 And then you do the same thing. 08:08.188 --> 08:10.256 You want to take your leaves off. 08:10.256 --> 08:11.958 And you want several nodes. 08:11.958 --> 08:13.993 And then what I like to do with hardwood, 08:13.993 --> 08:15.862 with semi-hardwood cuttings.. 08:15.862 --> 08:18.698 And a lot of these depend on the time of the year. 08:18.698 --> 08:21.301 Usually May, June, July. 08:21.301 --> 08:23.903 You've had that first flush of new growth. 08:23.903 --> 08:26.439 And it's starting to get a little bit hard. 08:26.439 --> 08:27.507 It's not quite so tender. 08:27.507 --> 08:30.377 And then I just take a rooting hormone. 08:30.377 --> 08:32.379 There's also liquids you can use. 08:32.379 --> 08:33.546 You can buy them anywhere. 08:33.546 --> 08:35.582 (Chris)  So, the homeowner   can readily get.. 08:35.582 --> 08:38.218 There is one called Root Tone that you can find 08:38.218 --> 08:39.552 at most any garden center. 08:39.552 --> 08:40.620 So, what you do.. 08:40.620 --> 08:44.057 I don't like to dip in to that because if this is diseased, 08:44.057 --> 08:46.059 you're going to contaminate your whole container. 08:46.059 --> 08:49.095 So, what I do is pour it in to a little cup. 08:49.095 --> 08:50.096 And you can.. 08:50.096 --> 08:52.832 It's not necessary to wet this because it's going to stick. 08:52.832 --> 08:54.401 It's just a real fine powder. 08:54.401 --> 08:58.705 And I put it in there and knock the excess off. 08:58.705 --> 09:02.041 And then what I've done, I've got potting mix in there. 09:02.041 --> 09:05.879 And then I generally put a small layer of sand. 09:05.879 --> 09:07.881 And then I put more potting mix. 09:07.881 --> 09:09.883 And then you can just poke it in there. 09:09.883 --> 09:11.885 (Chris)  Now what is the sand for? 09:11.885 --> 09:16.790 The roots seem to grow off that in to that fairly easily. 09:16.790 --> 09:19.859 Plus, it kind of holds a little moisture. 09:19.859 --> 09:21.261 And then this is kind of short. 09:21.261 --> 09:23.663 But he's in there. 09:23.663 --> 09:26.366 He's peeking out. 09:26.366 --> 09:28.368 Generally what I will do is water it once 09:28.368 --> 09:29.669 really well after that. 09:29.669 --> 09:33.373 And then we have a mist house which keeps the humidity up. 09:33.373 --> 09:36.443 But most home owners don't have their own mist house. 09:36.443 --> 09:41.381 So, you can put it in a zip lock bag and seal it and put it 09:41.381 --> 09:42.615 in good, indirect light. 09:42.615 --> 09:45.085 And then that'll kind of keep it moist. 09:45.085 --> 09:48.688 And usually they root in in maybe two to three months. 09:48.688 --> 09:50.156 We appreciate that. 09:50.156 --> 09:51.224 That was a good demonstration. 09:51.224 --> 09:53.226 I'm pretty sure the homeowners are going to love that, as well. 09:53.226 --> 09:54.227 So, thank you much. 09:54.227 --> 09:55.228 (Kim)  You're welcome. 09:55.228 --> 09:57.797 (Chris)  There are a number of   gardening events going on in the 09:57.797 --> 09:58.898  next couple of weeks. 09:58.898 --> 10:00.767  Here are just a few   that might interest you. 10:00.767 --> 10:37.971 [theme music] 10:37.971 --> 10:38.505 Alright, Booker. 10:38.505 --> 10:39.138 We're out here. 10:39.138 --> 10:41.007 We're in the lawn area. 10:41.007 --> 10:43.009 And I see all of these weeds, man. 10:43.009 --> 10:45.011 So, why do we have these weeds out here? 10:45.011 --> 10:47.147 (Booker)  A lot of times we don't   have weeds in our soil because 10:47.147 --> 10:49.816  sometimes the soil that we have,   the compact soil can cause weeds 10:49.816 --> 10:50.817 to grow. 10:50.817 --> 10:53.253 But also, if your neighbor has weeds and they're cutting the 10:53.253 --> 10:55.388 grass and everything, weeds can get in to your yard 10:55.388 --> 10:56.422 by the seeds blowing. 10:56.422 --> 10:58.758 And also, water and rain. 10:58.758 --> 10:59.859 It washes the seed down. 10:59.859 --> 11:04.063 A lot of times we let our grass, our weeds go to seed and then it 11:04.063 --> 11:05.064 blows by wind. 11:05.064 --> 11:07.166 But we can't manage that weed though. 11:07.166 --> 11:08.434 We can't manage those weeds. 11:08.434 --> 11:11.171 One of the things we can manage a weed by putting a pre-emerge 11:11.171 --> 11:13.439 down early in the fall of the year or the early part 11:13.439 --> 11:14.440 of the spring. 11:14.440 --> 11:16.442 It controls a lot of weeds in there. 11:16.442 --> 11:18.444 And also, with a thick, healthy turf. 11:18.444 --> 11:20.446 If you get a thick, healthy turf, 11:20.446 --> 11:22.448 it'll move a lot of those weeds out of there. 11:22.448 --> 11:24.450 Because weeds are looking for space. 11:24.450 --> 11:26.452 Looking for space and everything. 11:26.452 --> 11:27.587 And weeds can grow anywhere. 11:27.587 --> 11:29.589 They can grow in any kind of soil. 11:29.589 --> 11:32.425 You got to try to maintain that soil and try to keep the weeds 11:32.425 --> 11:33.426 out of there. 11:33.426 --> 11:34.694 Weeds destroy a pretty lawn. 11:34.694 --> 11:37.096 You know that and you know how it looks. 11:37.096 --> 11:39.365 Controlling those weeds and get you on a good spray schedule. 11:39.365 --> 11:41.901 You know, spray you a broad leaf weed killer of some kind 11:41.901 --> 11:42.902 on there. 11:42.902 --> 11:44.904 There's a pre-emerge you can put down. 11:44.904 --> 11:46.906 But getting those weeds under control 11:46.906 --> 11:47.907 is the most important thing. 11:47.907 --> 11:49.909 You can kind of manage those weeds a little bit. 11:49.909 --> 11:51.911 Managing is the most important thing because you're probably 11:51.911 --> 11:52.912 going to have some weeds. 11:52.912 --> 11:53.913 You might have a few. 11:53.913 --> 11:55.915 And then a lot of times you can pull those weeds out of there. 11:55.915 --> 11:57.917 When you pull the weeds out of there on, 11:57.917 --> 12:00.320 like, a moist day or something, a lot of times you get all that 12:00.320 --> 12:02.589 tap root and they'll just go away. 12:02.589 --> 12:04.691 And it takes some time now. 12:04.691 --> 12:06.759 It's going to be some work. 12:06.759 --> 12:08.161 No doubt about that. 12:08.161 --> 12:10.597 Trying to pull them out of there. 12:10.597 --> 12:12.332 Let me ask you this. 12:12.332 --> 12:14.400 So right now, I see moss. 12:14.400 --> 12:16.502 Why do we have the moss? 12:16.502 --> 12:17.904 (Booker)  See, moss likes shade. 12:17.904 --> 12:19.639  They like acid   soil sometimes. 12:19.639 --> 12:24.177  And a lot of times you have   moss where water kind of stands. 12:24.177 --> 12:26.245 You know, you've got an area that water kind of stands 12:26.245 --> 12:27.246 in your landscape. 12:27.246 --> 12:29.749 You might going to have some moss there. 12:29.749 --> 12:32.619 You know, a lot of people, you've got to try to get rid of 12:32.619 --> 12:34.621 the problem first for the moss to go away. 12:34.621 --> 12:36.656 You got a lot of shade, might need 12:36.656 --> 12:37.924 to clean your trees up some. 12:37.924 --> 12:41.027 If you got compact soil where the water stands, 12:41.027 --> 12:43.429 need to make sure you get the water to drain better. 12:43.429 --> 12:45.431 So, there's a lot of things you can do to get rid of moss. 12:45.431 --> 12:49.168 But if not, I have seen some folks let moss just grow 12:49.168 --> 12:50.169 and take over. 12:50.169 --> 12:52.005 And it looks real nice. 12:52.005 --> 12:54.007 Might not try to fight with it. 12:54.007 --> 12:55.141 You don't have to cut it. 12:55.141 --> 12:56.242 Just keep the leaves off of it. 12:56.242 --> 12:57.510 Keep the leaves off of it. 12:57.510 --> 13:00.780 I've seen one lady water her moss. 13:00.780 --> 13:03.116 She wanted it to stay there because it looked real good. 13:03.116 --> 13:04.117 But you want to control it. 13:04.117 --> 13:05.118 It got a little small area. 13:05.118 --> 13:08.421 You probably can control that some by aerating, 13:08.421 --> 13:11.324 getting the compact soil good. 13:11.324 --> 13:13.493 I might add just a little sand across the top of it. 13:13.493 --> 13:16.029 Let it drain for them to drain better. 13:16.029 --> 13:18.031 A lot of things you can do to control that moss 13:18.031 --> 13:19.032 on a small area. 13:19.032 --> 13:21.034 You got a lot of trees around there. 13:21.034 --> 13:22.035 And folks love a tree. 13:22.035 --> 13:25.371 They don't go out there and cut the trees down and try to get 13:25.371 --> 13:26.673 rid of the moss and everything. 13:26.673 --> 13:28.675 And the clover you have in there. 13:30.910 --> 13:32.912 Yeah, we got white clover here, as well. 13:32.912 --> 13:34.914 And white clover, of course, is a legume. 13:34.914 --> 13:37.417  It's an indicator of   your soil fertility. 13:37.417 --> 13:39.752 And got a little probe here. 13:39.752 --> 13:44.023 You can also do a soil test in there to see it in to your soil. 13:44.023 --> 13:47.360 Because you don't want to go out there and just start adding 13:47.360 --> 13:48.761 fertilizer and lime to it. 13:48.761 --> 13:50.163 You might not need that. 13:50.163 --> 13:52.965  But do your soil test   where that moss is located. 13:52.965 --> 13:56.602  You might want to get it from   four or five different places in 13:56.602 --> 14:00.506  that area and get it tested and   just see what you have in there. 14:00.506 --> 14:02.709 And so, that's a thing you can do to control that moss and help 14:02.709 --> 14:03.443 control those weeds. 14:03.443 --> 14:04.377 Also, it makes it look good, too. 14:04.377 --> 14:05.311 But I kind of like a little moss. 14:05.311 --> 14:06.079 It actually looks pretty good. 14:06.079 --> 14:08.281 And something else I see down here, too, 14:08.281 --> 14:09.449  Booker, is Nutsedge. 14:09.449 --> 14:11.217  And you know how   tough Nutsedge is. 14:11.217 --> 14:13.820  You know, it's considered to be   the world's worst weed because, 14:13.820 --> 14:17.290 you know, it can actually tolerate dry soils, 14:17.290 --> 14:19.192 as well as moist soils. 14:19.192 --> 14:20.326 So, that's why it's considered to be a tough, 14:20.326 --> 14:21.861 tough weed. 14:21.861 --> 14:26.365 Those underground tubers move around so you pull it. 14:26.365 --> 14:29.702 It's hard to control in there. 14:29.702 --> 14:32.839 And another thing we see that's out here now. 14:32.839 --> 14:34.273 They just had the yard sprayed. 14:34.273 --> 14:36.309 I wonder what they were spraying it for. 14:36.309 --> 14:38.311 What weed do you think they were spraying it for? 14:38.311 --> 14:40.313 Probably broad leaf weed killers. 14:40.313 --> 14:42.315 And sometimes you might have it mixed together, 14:42.315 --> 14:44.317 a broad leaf weed killer with a pre-emerge. 14:44.317 --> 14:46.319 Trying to get some of your summer weeds from germinating 14:46.319 --> 14:47.320 and coming in there. 14:47.320 --> 14:49.589 People always call and say why they lawn green. 14:49.589 --> 14:53.593 They spray their lawn and their lawn begins to turn green. 14:53.593 --> 14:56.295 But it could be that's like an indicator, 14:56.295 --> 15:00.533 a dye that can tell so they don't overlap a lot. 15:00.533 --> 15:02.869 That's why you see all those color in there a lot when they 15:02.869 --> 15:04.904 put the broad leaf weed down. 15:04.904 --> 15:07.807 And also, they might put a pre-emerge mix in there. 15:07.807 --> 15:12.612 You have just a few weeds in your lawn and there's not a 15:12.612 --> 15:15.515 whole lot of weeds in there in different locations and your 15:15.515 --> 15:18.951 Bermuda grass is still completely dormant, 15:18.951 --> 15:21.387 you know, you can spray around there. 15:21.387 --> 15:22.388 Okay. 15:22.388 --> 15:25.525 But you do that to make sure that it's dormant. 15:25.525 --> 15:29.095 You might want to go down there and look in to and make sure 15:29.095 --> 15:31.097 it's not green at the root system coming out. 15:31.097 --> 15:34.333 But you can spread it around there and get rid of a lot of 15:34.333 --> 15:35.334 those weeds in there. 15:35.334 --> 15:37.336 And a lot of things that we're seeing now, 15:37.336 --> 15:38.404 you may be seeing big ones. 15:38.404 --> 15:39.872 It's winter annual weeds. 15:39.872 --> 15:44.210 But they're going to die later on when it gets real hot 15:44.210 --> 15:45.211 and everything. 15:45.211 --> 15:46.212 They'll die. 15:46.212 --> 15:48.214 But they'll come back again next year. 15:48.214 --> 15:51.117 Yeah, especially if they go in to seed. 15:51.117 --> 15:53.119 Because again, managing that turf, 15:53.119 --> 15:56.289 that really good, thick turf, cutting your grass 15:56.289 --> 15:57.456 at the right height. 15:57.456 --> 16:00.626  You want to keep that   grass, Bermuda grass, 16:00.626 --> 16:02.628  probably about   two-and-a-half inches tall. 16:02.628 --> 16:04.630  Zoysia would be   about the same length, 16:04.630 --> 16:06.632  two-and-a-half   inches tall in that area. 16:06.632 --> 16:08.634  And your Fescue   is a little taller, 16:08.634 --> 16:10.636  especially during   the summer time. 16:10.636 --> 16:12.638 it's not doing a whole lot of growing during the summer time. 16:12.638 --> 16:14.774 But you want to keep it tall to protect those root systems. 16:14.774 --> 16:16.275 Because it gets hot. 16:16.275 --> 16:19.045 But keep that to manage that turf, 16:19.045 --> 16:20.213 keeping that grass. 16:20.213 --> 16:23.549 And last time, we talked about having a sharp mower blade. 16:23.549 --> 16:25.551 Cut your grass in different directions. 16:25.551 --> 16:27.553 All those things help control weed problems. 16:27.553 --> 16:28.955 Getting that good, thick turf. 16:28.955 --> 16:31.290 All these are cultural practices. 16:31.290 --> 16:36.329 Our last resort is to spray, to spray any chemical there. 16:36.329 --> 16:39.632 But we don't want to do a lot of chemicals in there because that 16:39.632 --> 16:40.633 can cause problems. 16:40.633 --> 16:42.902 And a one of the things you want to do, 16:42.902 --> 16:44.904 again, is getting that soil tested. 16:44.904 --> 16:46.906 Like I said, get that soil test. 16:46.906 --> 16:48.908 And then when you do spray chemicals, 16:48.908 --> 16:49.909 read the label. 16:49.909 --> 16:50.910 Read the label. 16:50.910 --> 16:52.912 And, you know, don't do more than they said to do. 16:52.912 --> 16:53.913 Do what they say. 16:53.913 --> 16:54.914 And don't do less. 16:54.914 --> 16:56.916 Do the right amount and cover the area they want to say 16:56.916 --> 16:57.917 to cover. 16:57.917 --> 16:58.918 Let me ask you this. 16:58.918 --> 17:00.920 We get this question a lot at the office. 17:00.920 --> 17:03.122 Is it tougher to control weeds in Fescue lawns? 17:03.122 --> 17:04.857 A lot of times it could be. 17:04.857 --> 17:07.593 It might be really thick grass like Bermuda or Zoysia grass. 17:07.593 --> 17:10.296 You might have a little more weeds get in there sometime. 17:10.296 --> 17:11.297 You'll see it more. 17:11.297 --> 17:12.531 Fescue grows all year long. 17:12.531 --> 17:15.234 Especially in the winter time, you might have just a little 17:15.234 --> 17:16.469 more grass in there, too. 17:16.469 --> 17:19.705 And another thing, you might not be able to spray on Fescue lawns 17:19.705 --> 17:21.908 what you can spray on Bermuda and Zoysia grass 17:21.908 --> 17:22.909 because of that. 17:22.909 --> 17:24.076 So, you can do that. 17:24.076 --> 17:26.612 Those are things you might want to look at in there. 17:26.612 --> 17:29.048 But moss and weeds are going to be a problem. 17:29.048 --> 17:32.251 If your neighbor has weeds, you might have some in there. 17:32.251 --> 17:33.452 They're going to blow in. 17:33.452 --> 17:36.389 Like you said about wind, rain, something like that. 17:36.389 --> 17:39.025 Like you said, you have a lawn service that could bring them in 17:39.025 --> 17:41.661 from another lawn on your mower blade and everything. 17:41.661 --> 17:43.663 And I'm glad you mentioned that. 17:43.663 --> 17:46.499 If you're using a lawn service, make sure those guys blow off 17:46.499 --> 17:49.568 the lawn mowers because it might have weed seeds on, 17:49.568 --> 17:52.371 you know, that mower blade, on the wheel, on them. 17:52.371 --> 17:54.373 So, they need to blow off that equipment before they go 17:54.373 --> 17:55.374 to the next yard. 17:55.374 --> 17:57.610 Because they might take weeds in your yard, 17:57.610 --> 17:59.612 cut my grass and then they'll be in my yard. 17:59.612 --> 18:01.614 You want to make sure that they're cleaning off 18:01.614 --> 18:02.615 their equipment. 18:02.615 --> 18:04.617 A lot of times they could be on a schedule. 18:04.617 --> 18:06.619 You know, they're scheduled to cut your grass 18:06.619 --> 18:07.620 and have a little rain. 18:07.620 --> 18:09.889 And your grass is still kind of wet. 18:09.889 --> 18:11.891 And they ride across there cutting it. 18:11.891 --> 18:13.893 That could add a little compact to your soil. 18:13.893 --> 18:15.695 Just be very careful with that. 18:15.695 --> 18:18.764 Some of your weeds are actually what indicates if your soil 18:18.764 --> 18:19.765 is compact. 18:19.765 --> 18:21.767 Yeah, there's lot of things there. 18:21.767 --> 18:23.769 But manage those weeds, get them under control. 18:23.769 --> 18:25.671 You can take care of it. 18:25.671 --> 18:27.840 Do you have weeds in your yard? 18:27.840 --> 18:29.742 No, no weeds in my yard. 18:29.742 --> 18:31.610 I might have one or two. 18:31.610 --> 18:35.781 What I do when it's real moist, I go out there and pull it up. 18:35.781 --> 18:37.783 Put it in a little bag and then put it 18:37.783 --> 18:40.419 in the garbage thing there. 18:40.419 --> 18:41.420 I have very few weeds. 18:41.420 --> 18:43.155 Weeds don't be there though. 18:43.155 --> 18:46.158 You might spray it but you don't have weeds sometimes. 18:46.158 --> 18:49.595 You don't have weeds because how many times do you cut 18:49.595 --> 18:50.596 your yard again? 18:50.596 --> 18:51.597 Twice a week? 18:51.597 --> 18:52.598 Twice a week. 18:52.598 --> 18:53.599 Alright, Booker. 18:53.599 --> 18:54.600  We appreciate that. 18:54.600 --> 18:55.601 (Booker)  Thank you. 18:55.601 --> 18:57.603 (Chris)  Remember, we   love to hear from you. 18:57.603 --> 19:01.641  Send us a letter or an e-mail   with your gardening questions. 19:01.641 --> 19:05.277  Send your e-mail to   Familyplot@wkno.org. 19:05.277 --> 19:08.247  The mailing address is    Family Plot.. 19:08.247 --> 19:14.253  7151 Cherry Farms road   Cordova, Tennessee 38016. 19:17.890 --> 19:19.892 Alright, here's our Q and A session. 19:19.892 --> 19:21.894 Miss Kim, you jump in there with us. 19:21.894 --> 19:22.895 Alright? 19:22.895 --> 19:24.897 Here's the first viewer question. 19:24.897 --> 19:28.701  Billy writes: I will be buying a   Red Delicious and a Granny Smith 19:28.701 --> 19:29.735  apple tree soon. 19:29.735 --> 19:30.803  I like Granny Smith apples. 19:30.803 --> 19:34.040  Which size tree will   bear fruit sooner, 19:34.040 --> 19:38.344  a dwarf or a full   orchard size tree? 19:38.344 --> 19:41.981 Well, Billy, that would be your dwarf tree because it will 19:41.981 --> 19:45.484 actually bear fruit in the second or third season. 19:45.484 --> 19:50.589 And then your orchard size fruit tree will bear usually four or 19:50.589 --> 19:51.957 five on out. 19:51.957 --> 19:54.393 So again, it'll be your dwarf size tree. 19:54.393 --> 19:56.662 And dwarf, you know, trees are good for the home owner. 19:56.662 --> 20:00.099 I like dwarf because they stay real small and it's easy to 20:00.099 --> 20:02.101 harvest your fruit off there. 20:02.101 --> 20:04.103 So, that's one of the good things about dwarfs. 20:04.103 --> 20:06.505 And people don't realize a lot of plants come in dwarf size. 20:06.505 --> 20:08.874 And they're usually doing that. 20:08.874 --> 20:09.875 I like dwarf trees. 20:09.875 --> 20:11.177 Easy to maintain. 20:11.177 --> 20:13.279 So, you're going to have to spray your fruit trees. 20:13.279 --> 20:14.413 So, it'll be easy to spray. 20:14.413 --> 20:16.048 Of course, easy to prune. 20:16.048 --> 20:17.049 Easy to harvest. 20:17.049 --> 20:19.652 Easy to harvest, like Booker mentioned. 20:19.652 --> 20:21.654 The only thing about a dwarf tree is this. 20:21.654 --> 20:23.656 You're going to have to stake it. 20:23.656 --> 20:24.657 Oh yeah? 20:24.657 --> 20:26.659 Yeah, because they're a little weak. 20:26.659 --> 20:29.195 They're going to only grow about 30 to 40% of the size of a full 20:29.195 --> 20:30.196 orchard size tree. 20:30.196 --> 20:33.265 But yeah, if you stake it up, it should be fine. 20:33.265 --> 20:37.570 If you stake a tree, you want to be sure you give a little bit 20:37.570 --> 20:38.571 in the wind. 20:38.571 --> 20:41.607 You don't want it real tight because it might break off. 20:41.607 --> 20:42.775 Dwarf is good though. 20:42.775 --> 20:44.810 Alright, so there you go, Mister Billy. 20:44.810 --> 20:45.945  Here's our   next question. 20:45.945 --> 20:49.115  I bought some native persimmon   tree and mulberry seeds and want 20:49.115 --> 20:51.150  to plant them on   some cleared land. 20:51.150 --> 20:54.019  I want to start the   seeds directly in the soil. 20:54.019 --> 20:56.055  Can you give   me some pointers? 20:56.055 --> 20:58.057 Miss Bonnie, she says thank you. 20:58.057 --> 20:59.058 And guess what, Miss Bonnie. 20:59.058 --> 21:02.761 We just happen to have Miss Kim Rucker here today. 21:02.761 --> 21:05.131 And so, Kim, we're going to let you have first crack at this 21:05.131 --> 21:07.133 question since you are a propagator. 21:07.133 --> 21:09.635 Well, those are both native species. 21:09.635 --> 21:13.272 And generally animals eat the fruits, wildlife. 21:13.272 --> 21:16.142 And it goes through their digestive track and then they 21:16.142 --> 21:19.445 deposit the seed later after it's been through there. 21:19.445 --> 21:22.381 Both seeds are very hard. 21:22.381 --> 21:26.719 So, you need to soak them for a good three to four days before 21:26.719 --> 21:29.255 you actually plant them is what I understand. 21:29.255 --> 21:30.856 And also, you need to.. 21:30.856 --> 21:32.858 They need a cold stratification. 21:32.858 --> 21:34.860 So, you need moist, cold stratification soil. 21:34.860 --> 21:38.164 So, a lot of people will put them in moist sand, 21:38.164 --> 21:41.367 put them in the refrigerator for 60 to 90 days, 21:41.367 --> 21:44.870 about three months, and then pull them out and plant them. 21:44.870 --> 21:48.340 And then you want to plant them usually in the spring. 21:48.340 --> 21:52.811 So, you can plant in the fall but I think the seeds have a, 21:52.811 --> 21:55.347 you know, once that ground starts warming up, 21:55.347 --> 21:57.283 it tells them to get going. 21:57.283 --> 21:58.851 Let me ask you this. 21:58.851 --> 22:02.688 So, do you think they have a pretty high successful rate as 22:02.688 --> 22:03.956 far as germination goes? 22:03.956 --> 22:06.292 I think with the Mulberry, it's.. 22:06.292 --> 22:09.828 You're going to get anywhere from 12 to 50% germination. 22:09.828 --> 22:12.898 The Persimmon, I think, is probably a little bit higher. 22:12.898 --> 22:16.936 But you have to be patient. 22:16.936 --> 22:18.938 It's going to be ten years before you get fruit 22:18.938 --> 22:20.272 and that's minimum. 22:20.272 --> 22:25.377 Usually it's, you know, 25 years before you get a lot of fruit on 22:25.377 --> 22:26.378 a Persimmon. 22:26.378 --> 22:28.113 So, get started. 22:28.113 --> 22:29.114 Alright, Booker. 22:29.114 --> 22:31.750 I would probably recommend starting them in a container. 22:31.750 --> 22:33.185 That's probably a good thing. 22:33.185 --> 22:35.187 You might want to do that for a while. 22:35.187 --> 22:37.189 Because you do plant right in to the soil, 22:37.189 --> 22:39.291 you need to put a cage around it so you'll know 22:39.291 --> 22:40.292 where they're located. 22:40.292 --> 22:42.861 Because it might be a while before they germinate. 22:42.861 --> 22:44.029 So, you won't just guess. 22:44.029 --> 22:45.731 Where did I put those seeds? 22:45.731 --> 22:47.466 Here's our next question. 22:47.466 --> 22:53.172  What is the correct way    to top seed grass seed 22:53.172 --> 22:54.173  and does it work? 22:54.173 --> 22:57.042 And we just so happen to have a grass man today. 22:57.042 --> 22:59.044 So, Booker, what do you say about that? 22:59.044 --> 23:01.313 One of the things if you have a little small area that you can 23:01.313 --> 23:03.449 over seed or put some seeds down, 23:03.449 --> 23:05.451 one of the things the seeds need to come in contact 23:05.451 --> 23:06.452 with some soil. 23:06.452 --> 23:08.621 You just can't over seed on top of other grass. 23:08.621 --> 23:10.623 You need to get you a rake or something and try to smooth it 23:10.623 --> 23:12.625 out and get some contact with some soil. 23:12.625 --> 23:15.127 Also, you need to put some soil out there and let those seeds 23:15.127 --> 23:17.763 come in contact with that soil when you sow the seeds. 23:17.763 --> 23:20.299 You've got to have at least some soil to come in contact with. 23:20.299 --> 23:21.767 You can over seed. 23:21.767 --> 23:24.203 And one of the things you need to know with grass when you over 23:24.203 --> 23:26.205 seed is when can you over seed. 23:26.205 --> 23:29.008 You know, Bermuda grass you might over seed that in May. 23:29.008 --> 23:31.777 Fescue lawn, you might want to over seed that in September. 23:31.777 --> 23:33.779 So, let us know what kind of grass you're fixing to grow. 23:33.779 --> 23:34.780 I say Bermuda grass. 23:34.780 --> 23:35.914 That's a warm season grass. 23:35.914 --> 23:37.116 Fescue is a cool season grass. 23:37.116 --> 23:39.118 They grow during that part of the year. 23:39.118 --> 23:40.519 So, know what grass you have. 23:40.519 --> 23:42.521 Then over seed during that time. 23:42.521 --> 23:44.523 But it needs to come in contact with some soil. 23:44.523 --> 23:46.925 Contact, that's the key. 23:46.925 --> 23:48.928 Alright, that's from the grass guy. 23:48.928 --> 23:49.928 [laughter] 23:49.928 --> 23:51.930 Alright, here's our next question. 23:51.930 --> 23:56.268  I was pruning my maple tree    and noticed these eggs on one 23:56.268 --> 23:57.903  of the branches. 23:57.903 --> 24:00.839  What are they and should   I do something about it? 24:00.839 --> 24:01.907 And this from Peter. 24:01.907 --> 24:05.978 This is an egg mass of Katydids. 24:05.978 --> 24:09.248  Katydids are, you know, close   relatives to grasshoppers 24:09.248 --> 24:10.249 and crickets. 24:10.249 --> 24:12.251 You've probably seen them before. 24:12.251 --> 24:15.321  They're about a   couple of inches long. 24:15.321 --> 24:18.157  They have the real   long, thin hind legs. 24:18.157 --> 24:21.627  And they actually   sing to each other. 24:21.627 --> 24:25.230  So, they rub their   forewings together. 24:25.230 --> 24:29.435 (Kim)  I think that's a mating call. 24:29.435 --> 24:31.136 Beautiful song there. 24:31.136 --> 24:32.805 But yeah, these are.. 24:32.805 --> 24:34.807 I wouldn't worry about doing anything with those. 24:34.807 --> 24:37.910 You know, of course they're going to hatch this spring, 24:37.910 --> 24:38.911 of course. 24:38.911 --> 24:42.715 And they will eat the leaves of some of 24:42.715 --> 24:44.616 your deciduous plant material. 24:44.616 --> 24:46.618 I don't see that to be a major problem. 24:46.618 --> 24:48.620 It's not going to kill the tree. 24:48.620 --> 24:50.622 So, I wouldn't worry about trying to spray anything or 24:50.622 --> 24:51.623 nothing like that. 24:51.623 --> 24:54.960 You know, so those are your Katydids. 24:54.960 --> 24:57.229 And if you look at that egg mass again, 24:57.229 --> 24:59.231 I mean, those things look like scales. 24:59.231 --> 25:03.435 And the female usually does lay her eggs on stems. 25:03.435 --> 25:07.373 You know, stems or twigs and leaves. 25:07.373 --> 25:09.375 And again, they will hatch this spring. 25:09.375 --> 25:10.576 And you'll have little nymphs. 25:10.576 --> 25:12.578 And, of course, the nymphs will start eating 25:12.578 --> 25:13.579 and then they'll molt. 25:13.579 --> 25:16.081 And they'll become the Katydids, maturing Katydids. 25:16.081 --> 25:17.449 So, there you have it. 25:17.449 --> 25:18.450 Alright. 25:18.450 --> 25:20.452 Well, Booker, Kim, we're out of time. 25:20.452 --> 25:22.454 That's all we have time for today. 25:22.454 --> 25:23.455 Thanks for watching. 25:23.455 --> 25:24.456 I'm Chris Cooper. 25:24.456 --> 25:26.458 Be sure to join us next time for 25:26.458 --> 25:28.460 "The Family Plot: Gardening in the Mid-South." 25:28.460 --> 25:29.561 Be safe! 25:29.561 --> 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