1 00:00:01,668 --> 00:00:03,036 - Hi, thanks for joining us for the Family Plot: 2 00:00:03,036 --> 00:00:04,137 Gardening in The Mid-South. 3 00:00:04,137 --> 00:00:05,506 I'm Chris Cooper. 4 00:00:05,506 --> 00:00:07,774 Peppers are a Summer   garden favorite. 5 00:00:07,774 --> 00:00:10,110 Today we're going to   learn all about them. 6 00:00:10,110 --> 00:00:12,212 Also, there's lots of   advice floating around 7 00:00:12,212 --> 00:00:13,680 about how to plant. 8 00:00:13,680 --> 00:00:15,883 Some is true, a lot is not. 9 00:00:15,883 --> 00:00:18,685 Today we're separating   fact from fiction. 10 00:00:18,685 --> 00:00:20,420 That's just ahead   on The Family Plot: 11 00:00:20,420 --> 00:00:22,656 Gardening in the Mid-South. 12 00:00:22,656 --> 00:00:23,857 - (Female narrator)   Production funding for 13 00:00:23,857 --> 00:00:26,026 The Family Plot:   Gardening in the Mid-South, 14 00:00:26,026 --> 00:00:29,129 is provided by the   WKNO Production Fund, 15 00:00:30,330 --> 00:00:32,366 the WKNO Endowment Fund, 16 00:00:32,366 --> 00:00:34,534 and by viewers like you. 17 00:00:34,534 --> 00:00:35,869 Thank you. 18 00:00:35,869 --> 00:00:39,206 [cheerful guitar music] 19 00:00:46,013 --> 00:00:48,248 - Welcome to The Family Plot, I'm Chris Cooper. 20 00:00:48,248 --> 00:00:49,917 Joining me today is Tom Mashour. 21 00:00:49,917 --> 00:00:52,552 Mr. Tom is an Extension Master Gardener in Tipton County. 22 00:00:52,552 --> 00:00:54,087 And Carol Reese is here. 23 00:00:54,087 --> 00:00:55,856 Miss Carol is an ornamental horticulturist specialist 24 00:00:55,856 --> 00:00:56,957 with UT Extension. 25 00:00:56,957 --> 00:00:58,158 Thanks for joining us. 26 00:00:58,158 --> 00:00:59,726 - Thank you. - Glad to be here. 27 00:00:59,726 --> 00:01:01,762 - Alright, Mr. Tom, we're gonna talk about peppers. 28 00:01:01,762 --> 00:01:03,030 - Love 'em. 29 00:01:03,030 --> 00:01:03,830 - I know you love to talk about peppers. 30 00:01:03,830 --> 00:01:05,032 - Oh, I do. 31 00:01:05,032 --> 00:01:06,266 - So, where do you want to start? 32 00:01:06,266 --> 00:01:07,434 - Well, let's talk about varieties. 33 00:01:07,434 --> 00:01:08,835 - (Chris) Okay, let's do that. 34 00:01:08,835 --> 00:01:12,973 - One catalog has 80 different varieties of peppers. 35 00:01:12,973 --> 00:01:15,809 And that's not all inclusive. 36 00:01:15,809 --> 00:01:18,412 There's a lot more peppers than just that one catalog. 37 00:01:18,412 --> 00:01:20,113 - (Chris) Okay. 38 00:01:20,113 --> 00:01:23,850 - Anywhere from bell peppers   to ornamental peppers 39 00:01:23,850 --> 00:01:26,753 that grows these little,   tiny, little purple peppers. 40 00:01:26,753 --> 00:01:29,723 But ornamental peppers, all peppers are edible. 41 00:01:29,723 --> 00:01:30,958 - Okay. 42 00:01:30,958 --> 00:01:34,294 - Peppers are rated on the Scoville scale, 43 00:01:35,462 --> 00:01:37,664 which rates them by their pungency, 44 00:01:37,664 --> 00:01:39,232 is that the right word? 45 00:01:39,232 --> 00:01:41,835 A bell pepper, no score at all. 46 00:01:42,736 --> 00:01:44,871 You get into your jalapenos, 47 00:01:44,871 --> 00:01:49,376 and on the Scoville scale   they're around 20,000. 48 00:01:49,376 --> 00:01:51,411 You get into the habaneros, 49 00:01:51,411 --> 00:01:55,582 they're anywhere from   250,000 to 450,000. 50 00:01:55,582 --> 00:01:56,550 - (Chris) Ouch! 51 00:01:56,550 --> 00:01:57,851 - You get to the ghost pepper 52 00:01:57,851 --> 00:02:01,588 and it's 1 to 1.1 million. 53 00:02:01,588 --> 00:02:03,523 And then you have to understand that 54 00:02:03,523 --> 00:02:05,659 there's a pepper that's even hotter. 55 00:02:05,659 --> 00:02:09,363 And what makes them hot is the... capsaicin? 56 00:02:09,363 --> 00:02:10,630 - (Chris) Capsaicin. 57 00:02:10,630 --> 00:02:12,332 - Capsaicin, thank you, that's in it. 58 00:02:12,332 --> 00:02:16,003 And pure cap..., one more time. 59 00:02:16,003 --> 00:02:18,405 - Capsaicin? - Thank you. 60 00:02:18,405 --> 00:02:20,073 Is about 15 million. 61 00:02:20,941 --> 00:02:22,776 And a lot of these heat pads, 62 00:02:22,776 --> 00:02:26,747 that's what they have in them to make them hot 63 00:02:26,747 --> 00:02:30,017 so you get that heat from them. 64 00:02:30,017 --> 00:02:34,354 I personally do not like really hot, hot peppers. 65 00:02:34,354 --> 00:02:35,555 - I don't either. 66 00:02:35,555 --> 00:02:39,226 - One of the cute things is right here. 67 00:02:39,226 --> 00:02:42,229 This is called a Fooled You jalapeno pepper. 68 00:02:42,229 --> 00:02:43,497 It looks, grows, 69 00:02:43,497 --> 00:02:45,499 it takes just like a jalapeno, 70 00:02:45,499 --> 00:02:48,135 but it's just as hot as a bell pepper. 71 00:02:48,135 --> 00:02:50,537 So, you get all the flavor but no pain. 72 00:02:50,537 --> 00:02:53,507 And peppers are members of the nightshade family, 73 00:02:53,507 --> 00:02:57,010 which also includes tomatoes, peppers, 74 00:02:57,010 --> 00:02:58,578 tomatoes, potatoes. 75 00:03:00,313 --> 00:03:01,248 - (Carol) Eggplant. 76 00:03:01,248 --> 00:03:02,716 - And eggplant, thank you. 77 00:03:02,716 --> 00:03:04,818 And the unique thing about them is 78 00:03:04,818 --> 00:03:06,486 when they group them together a lot 79 00:03:06,486 --> 00:03:08,655 is due to the flower, 80 00:03:08,655 --> 00:03:13,427 and all of the male and female parts are in each blossom. 81 00:03:13,427 --> 00:03:16,697 So, they're considered wind pollinated. 82 00:03:18,131 --> 00:03:20,834 Allows just a little breeze to shake them up a little bit. 83 00:03:20,834 --> 00:03:21,768 That's all they need. 84 00:03:21,768 --> 00:03:23,370 Matter of fact, in greenhouses 85 00:03:23,370 --> 00:03:25,872 when they grow hothouse tomatoes, 86 00:03:25,872 --> 00:03:27,407 peppers, and stuff like that, 87 00:03:27,407 --> 00:03:29,142 all they really do is every morning 88 00:03:29,142 --> 00:03:31,511 walk through with like bamboo sticks 89 00:03:31,511 --> 00:03:33,080 and just bang them, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, 90 00:03:33,080 --> 00:03:34,314 as they walk down them, 91 00:03:34,314 --> 00:03:36,850 which is enough shaking to cause pollination. 92 00:03:36,850 --> 00:03:38,051 - (Chris) Oh, interesting. 93 00:03:38,051 --> 00:03:40,754 - Which also creates a problem. 94 00:03:40,754 --> 00:03:42,322 One of the problems is, 95 00:03:42,322 --> 00:03:45,158 like I did at my house by mistake and I knew better, 96 00:03:45,158 --> 00:03:48,462 I mean I really did but I screwed up, 97 00:03:48,462 --> 00:03:52,466 and I planted some sweet banana peppers 98 00:03:52,466 --> 00:03:55,268 next to my jalapeno peppers. 99 00:03:55,268 --> 00:03:58,038 Guess what I ended up with. 100 00:03:58,038 --> 00:03:59,673 I ended up with banana peppers 101 00:03:59,673 --> 00:04:03,210 that were actually hotter than the jalapenos. 102 00:04:03,210 --> 00:04:07,380 So, I'll have to give those away with a cautionary note. 103 00:04:09,116 --> 00:04:11,118 Starting peppers though are relatively easy. 104 00:04:11,118 --> 00:04:13,620 One of the problems is, again, 105 00:04:15,055 --> 00:04:19,659 they don't grow anywhere near as fast as tomato plants do 106 00:04:19,659 --> 00:04:22,596 and they take longer to germinate. 107 00:04:22,596 --> 00:04:24,131 So, I usually start my peppers, 108 00:04:24,131 --> 00:04:26,700 I start everything indoors or in the greenhouse, 109 00:04:26,700 --> 00:04:28,768 but I start them approximately a month 110 00:04:28,768 --> 00:04:31,571 before I even think about starting my tomatoes. 111 00:04:31,571 --> 00:04:36,042 And the tomatoes, from the time I start the seeds 112 00:04:36,042 --> 00:04:38,512 to the time they're ready to go in the garden 113 00:04:38,512 --> 00:04:40,247 is less than six weeks. 114 00:04:40,247 --> 00:04:42,816 Peppers, probably about two months 115 00:04:42,816 --> 00:04:44,217 before I put them in the garden, 116 00:04:44,217 --> 00:04:47,921 before they're able to handle the weather like that. 117 00:04:47,921 --> 00:04:50,490 And I also plant them in pairs. 118 00:04:51,992 --> 00:04:56,229 I'll plant two of them about that far apart, 119 00:04:56,229 --> 00:04:59,099 and then a space of 18 inches, 120 00:04:59,099 --> 00:05:00,901 then I plant two more, 121 00:05:00,901 --> 00:05:03,236 and then I plant two more   and two more in pairs. 122 00:05:03,236 --> 00:05:07,607 And the reason for that is   the foliage of one plant 123 00:05:07,607 --> 00:05:11,912 helps protect the peppers of the adjacent plant. 124 00:05:11,912 --> 00:05:14,247 When the sun rises in the east, 125 00:05:14,247 --> 00:05:17,083 and then it reverses on the west side, 126 00:05:17,083 --> 00:05:20,086 and it'll help prevent one problem. 127 00:05:20,086 --> 00:05:22,055 I've still got a little bit of damage from it, 128 00:05:22,055 --> 00:05:25,826 but this right here is sun scalding, 129 00:05:25,826 --> 00:05:28,728 and that's because the pepper got exposed 130 00:05:28,728 --> 00:05:30,931 directly to the sun. 131 00:05:30,931 --> 00:05:33,033 This one here got damaged 132 00:05:35,135 --> 00:05:37,170 because it was touching the ground, 133 00:05:37,170 --> 00:05:41,908 and the little critters that live in the ground got to it. 134 00:05:41,908 --> 00:05:44,377 And of course this is what you're looking for. 135 00:05:44,377 --> 00:05:45,612 - (Chris) Oh yeah, that looks good. 136 00:05:45,612 --> 00:05:47,514 - Exactly, and by the way-- 137 00:05:47,514 --> 00:05:48,348 - Well, tell me this, 138 00:05:48,348 --> 00:05:49,249 are those still edible? 139 00:05:49,249 --> 00:05:51,284 - Yes they are actually. 140 00:05:51,284 --> 00:05:52,919 What you would do, or I would do, 141 00:05:52,919 --> 00:05:55,322 is I would cut out the bad part of it, 142 00:05:55,322 --> 00:05:57,357 in this case the sun scalding, 143 00:05:57,357 --> 00:06:00,427 and then cut it up in pieces, 144 00:06:00,427 --> 00:06:02,963 same thing with this one, cut it up, 145 00:06:02,963 --> 00:06:05,632 and then put them in one of those self sealing bags, 146 00:06:05,632 --> 00:06:09,035 squeeze the air out of it and zip it closed, 147 00:06:09,035 --> 00:06:11,404 and by reducing the amount of air in there 148 00:06:11,404 --> 00:06:13,306 they just seem to last longer. 149 00:06:13,306 --> 00:06:16,376 They need, like most vegetables, 150 00:06:16,376 --> 00:06:18,945 at least six hours of daylight. 151 00:06:20,413 --> 00:06:24,150 You need to stake them with bamboo sticks or something, 152 00:06:24,150 --> 00:06:26,019 because when it gets heavy, 153 00:06:26,019 --> 00:06:29,823 it hopefully will get heavy with peppers, 154 00:06:29,823 --> 00:06:31,658 the plants are kind of brittle. 155 00:06:31,658 --> 00:06:35,929 If you get three or four peppers on a stem, it'll break off. 156 00:06:35,929 --> 00:06:37,897 - And I've see people use cages. 157 00:06:37,897 --> 00:06:38,865 - (Tom) You can. 158 00:06:38,865 --> 00:06:40,066 - For their peppers. 159 00:06:40,066 --> 00:06:41,701 - Those little-- - For that purpose. 160 00:06:41,701 --> 00:06:45,438 - Cone shaped cages   that are ridiculously, 161 00:06:45,438 --> 00:06:47,807 ridiculous for use on tomatoes, 162 00:06:47,807 --> 00:06:49,643 but they work good for peppers 163 00:06:49,643 --> 00:06:51,211 because they do support. 164 00:06:51,211 --> 00:06:55,482 As far as I know, that's about the only use for them. 165 00:06:55,482 --> 00:06:57,284 Watering, they like moderate watering. 166 00:06:57,284 --> 00:07:00,353 Just like most vegetables, they like a damp soil, 167 00:07:00,353 --> 00:07:02,589 not soggy, but damp. 168 00:07:02,589 --> 00:07:05,825 And by having it damp, constantly damp, 169 00:07:07,861 --> 00:07:10,664 you prevent a lot of problems 170 00:07:10,664 --> 00:07:14,534 with like blossom end   rot, a few other things. 171 00:07:14,534 --> 00:07:16,002 They like to the source water. 172 00:07:16,002 --> 00:07:17,671 When you water, you want to water 173 00:07:17,671 --> 00:07:20,173 with a drip line on the way out. 174 00:07:20,173 --> 00:07:23,576 A balanced fertilizer, a 10-10, 10-10-10, 175 00:07:24,444 --> 00:07:26,012 13-13-13, 15-15-15, 176 00:07:27,947 --> 00:07:29,883 which again is good for most vegetables 177 00:07:29,883 --> 00:07:31,518 but not all vegetables. 178 00:07:31,518 --> 00:07:34,521 - So, when is a good time to pick them? 179 00:07:34,521 --> 00:07:37,724 - Actually that's a good point. 180 00:07:37,724 --> 00:07:41,161 When they start turning red they get sweeter, 181 00:07:41,161 --> 00:07:42,896 just like especially on bell peppers. 182 00:07:42,896 --> 00:07:44,164 And by the way, on the scalding, 183 00:07:44,164 --> 00:07:45,565 some bell peppers are about the only pepper 184 00:07:45,565 --> 00:07:48,301 that is affected by sun scalding. 185 00:07:49,769 --> 00:07:52,205 But, there's a fine point 186 00:07:52,205 --> 00:07:56,576 when the tomatoes are solid red and they get mushy. 187 00:07:56,576 --> 00:08:00,213 So, if you want a good, sweet tomato or pepper, 188 00:08:00,213 --> 00:08:01,481 like in bell peppers, 189 00:08:01,481 --> 00:08:04,217 then when it starts turning red 190 00:08:04,217 --> 00:08:05,952 but before it goes completely red, 191 00:08:05,952 --> 00:08:07,887 still got a little bit of green in it, 192 00:08:07,887 --> 00:08:10,557 it's still gonna be firm and sweet. 193 00:08:10,557 --> 00:08:11,424 So, that's the best time to pick it. 194 00:08:11,424 --> 00:08:13,693 And also, the fewer, 195 00:08:13,693 --> 00:08:17,831 like almost a lot of your fruit type vegetables, 196 00:08:17,831 --> 00:08:22,001 the fewer the fruit the bigger the fruit. 197 00:08:22,001 --> 00:08:23,937 So peppers, well, people complain saying, 198 00:08:23,937 --> 00:08:26,339 "I just keep getting small peppers." 199 00:08:26,339 --> 00:08:29,142 Well, you probably got about 100 peppers on that plant. 200 00:08:29,142 --> 00:08:31,611 So, I usually tell people kind of limit 201 00:08:31,611 --> 00:08:34,314 to three or four peppers per plant, 202 00:08:34,314 --> 00:08:36,750 and then when you harvest one 203 00:08:36,750 --> 00:08:39,152 when it's at the right size for your needs, 204 00:08:39,152 --> 00:08:41,054 then let another one grow, 205 00:08:41,054 --> 00:08:43,723 and you'll be very successful with that. 206 00:08:43,723 --> 00:08:45,658 And also, you don't have to have 207 00:08:45,658 --> 00:08:48,061 a garden for growing peppers. 208 00:08:49,195 --> 00:08:52,799 They look fantastic in flower beds. 209 00:08:52,799 --> 00:08:54,467 - And probably even containers. 210 00:08:54,467 --> 00:08:57,470 - Yeah, yeah, they're very versatile 211 00:08:58,538 --> 00:09:00,340 as far as that goes. 212 00:09:00,340 --> 00:09:02,809 And as I said, one of the few fruits 213 00:09:02,809 --> 00:09:04,844 something to grow in your flower bed that's edible. 214 00:09:04,844 --> 00:09:06,246 - Alright Mr. Tom, 215 00:09:06,246 --> 00:09:07,213 we appreciate that information about peppers. 216 00:09:07,213 --> 00:09:09,416 - Okay, I hope that's helpful. 217 00:09:09,416 --> 00:09:11,718 - Thank you very much. 218 00:09:11,718 --> 00:09:13,520 There are a number   of gardening events 219 00:09:13,520 --> 00:09:15,722 going on in the next   couple of weeks. 220 00:09:15,722 --> 00:09:18,024 Here's just a few that   might interest you. 221 00:09:18,024 --> 00:09:21,761 [upbeat gentle guitar music] 222 00:09:38,211 --> 00:09:41,514 Alright Miss Carol, I can't wait to hear this, okay? 223 00:09:41,514 --> 00:09:44,017 Planting mis-information, okay? 224 00:09:45,151 --> 00:09:46,419 Where you wanna start with that? 225 00:09:46,419 --> 00:09:47,854 I can't wait. 226 00:09:47,854 --> 00:09:51,391 - Well, I can be pretty vicious sometimes. 227 00:09:51,391 --> 00:09:52,992 I was checking out something recently 228 00:09:52,992 --> 00:09:54,327 and the girl behind the counter 229 00:09:54,327 --> 00:09:56,029 tried to sell me soil amendments. 230 00:09:56,029 --> 00:09:58,131 - (Chris) Uh-oh. - with my plants, 231 00:09:58,131 --> 00:10:01,534 they were some old Hollywood junipers, 232 00:10:01,534 --> 00:10:04,270 and I was like, "Don't believe in them!" 233 00:10:05,138 --> 00:10:06,506 I believe in improving soil, 234 00:10:06,506 --> 00:10:08,641 but from the top down like mother nature does. 235 00:10:08,641 --> 00:10:09,742 If you dig a hole, 236 00:10:09,742 --> 00:10:10,910 they want you to dig a hole 237 00:10:10,910 --> 00:10:11,945 and mix the soil amendments in the hole 238 00:10:11,945 --> 00:10:13,346 and then plant in there, 239 00:10:13,346 --> 00:10:14,781 and actually what you're doing 240 00:10:14,781 --> 00:10:18,585 is creating a bucket of vastly different textured soil, 241 00:10:18,585 --> 00:10:20,920 which is gonna fill up with water in wet times, 242 00:10:20,920 --> 00:10:23,156 because the tight soil acts like a bucket, 243 00:10:23,156 --> 00:10:24,924 and it's gonna dry out faster during dry times. 244 00:10:24,924 --> 00:10:26,693 Plus, the roots don't really want to leave 245 00:10:26,693 --> 00:10:28,294 that little pampered area. 246 00:10:28,294 --> 00:10:29,863 They're like, "Ooh, I don't wanna go over there." 247 00:10:29,863 --> 00:10:30,964 - (Chris) "This is nice." 248 00:10:30,964 --> 00:10:31,898 - "I'll stay right here," 249 00:10:31,898 --> 00:10:33,266 which means they blow over easy, 250 00:10:33,266 --> 00:10:36,236 and again, can be a challenge to keep it watered. 251 00:10:36,236 --> 00:10:39,706 So, I just break up the native soil 252 00:10:39,706 --> 00:10:42,475 as little as possible to get it in there. 253 00:10:42,475 --> 00:10:46,112 And also if I do need to improve my soil, and my house, 254 00:10:46,112 --> 00:10:47,947 you know I just built a house in 2011, 255 00:10:47,947 --> 00:10:49,516 a lot of bulldozer work. 256 00:10:49,516 --> 00:10:51,451 So, I really don't have a lot of good, native soil. 257 00:10:51,451 --> 00:10:54,988 So, I'm not saying never till in soil amendments, 258 00:10:54,988 --> 00:10:57,423 but if you do do the whole area 259 00:10:57,423 --> 00:10:58,391 so that it can continue, 260 00:10:58,391 --> 00:10:59,692 because tree roots especially 261 00:10:59,692 --> 00:11:03,096 they want to go out sideways really far, 262 00:11:03,096 --> 00:11:07,667 so the more you can help them do that that's good. 263 00:11:07,667 --> 00:11:11,838 They like for you to add hormones and root stimulators. 264 00:11:13,840 --> 00:11:15,742 No scientific research has shown 265 00:11:15,742 --> 00:11:17,844 that that gives any benefit. 266 00:11:17,844 --> 00:11:19,312 It's just another product 267 00:11:19,312 --> 00:11:20,847 that they're trying to sell you over the counter. 268 00:11:20,847 --> 00:11:22,282 - (Chris) Interesting. 269 00:11:22,282 --> 00:11:24,150 - Don't put any fertilizer in that hole. 270 00:11:24,150 --> 00:11:26,386 - (Chris) I heard that one too, okay. 271 00:11:26,386 --> 00:11:28,922 - Don't fertilize that plant for the first year. 272 00:11:28,922 --> 00:11:31,991 Woody plants, now annuals and vegetables sure you do, 273 00:11:31,991 --> 00:11:33,192 that's a different thing, 274 00:11:33,192 --> 00:11:34,761 and till in all the stuff you want to there 275 00:11:34,761 --> 00:11:37,030 for that quick response. 276 00:11:37,030 --> 00:11:38,598 But, for trees and shrubs 277 00:11:38,598 --> 00:11:40,600 I don't recommend fertilizer for the first year, 278 00:11:40,600 --> 00:11:43,469 because you have a challenged plant anyway. 279 00:11:43,469 --> 00:11:45,171 It's going through some shock. 280 00:11:45,171 --> 00:11:46,372 It's having to get real integrated 281 00:11:46,372 --> 00:11:47,607 into that new setting, 282 00:11:47,607 --> 00:11:49,976 and fertilizers are salty 283 00:11:49,976 --> 00:11:53,146 and they draw water from the roots. 284 00:11:53,146 --> 00:11:54,581 So, you really don't want to be 285 00:11:54,581 --> 00:11:56,482 pushing the envelope with that 286 00:11:56,482 --> 00:11:58,184 and kind of giving them a little bit more challenge. 287 00:11:58,184 --> 00:12:00,520 People wanna do that when a plant is sick, too. 288 00:12:00,520 --> 00:12:01,754 They like to throw some fertilizer. 289 00:12:01,754 --> 00:12:02,989 - (Chris) Don't fertilize them. 290 00:12:02,989 --> 00:12:04,724 - Tried fertilizing it and it hadn't responded. 291 00:12:04,724 --> 00:12:07,093 Well, you don't want a whole bunch of rich food 292 00:12:07,093 --> 00:12:08,761 when you're sick either. 293 00:12:08,761 --> 00:12:10,063 (Chris laughs) 294 00:12:10,063 --> 00:12:11,497 Don't do that to the plant. 295 00:12:11,497 --> 00:12:14,734 Just nurse it during drought-y times. 296 00:12:14,734 --> 00:12:16,202 Try not to stress it. 297 00:12:16,202 --> 00:12:18,371 See if it can recover from whatever is going on. 298 00:12:18,371 --> 00:12:19,772 - Okay, let me ask you this though. 299 00:12:19,772 --> 00:12:22,141 Let me back you up for a second. 300 00:12:22,141 --> 00:12:26,279 So, when do you recommend tilling, tilling? 301 00:12:26,279 --> 00:12:30,283 - Yes, if I'm gonna do a vegetable garden maybe. 302 00:12:30,283 --> 00:12:32,318 Now, you can go the lasagna route 303 00:12:32,318 --> 00:12:34,387 and just layer things on top, 304 00:12:34,387 --> 00:12:37,423 but if I really want to improve the soil for the annuals 305 00:12:37,423 --> 00:12:40,727 and I really need to plant for seasonal display. 306 00:12:40,727 --> 00:12:43,696 I'm gonna change that garden out twice a year 307 00:12:43,696 --> 00:12:45,298 from cool to warm season. 308 00:12:45,298 --> 00:12:46,666 I want that quick response. 309 00:12:46,666 --> 00:12:49,302 I don't have all day to wait for that plant, 310 00:12:49,302 --> 00:12:51,270 so I'm probably gonna till in 311 00:12:51,270 --> 00:12:53,673 and get some good amendments and some quick fertilizer boost 312 00:12:53,673 --> 00:12:55,642 and get that quick turnover for me there. 313 00:12:55,642 --> 00:12:57,744 - Good, okay, good, okay. 314 00:12:57,744 --> 00:12:59,545 - And also like in my soil, 315 00:12:59,545 --> 00:13:01,381 I'm down to the B horizon. 316 00:13:01,381 --> 00:13:02,582 So, I'm gonna do the whole area. 317 00:13:02,582 --> 00:13:04,150 I don't have any soil structure left 318 00:13:04,150 --> 00:13:05,618 because of all the bulldozer work. 319 00:13:05,618 --> 00:13:09,055 So, I'm not preserving anything by not tilling, 320 00:13:09,055 --> 00:13:10,657 because when we don't till 321 00:13:10,657 --> 00:13:12,091 we're trying to preserve soil structure 322 00:13:12,091 --> 00:13:13,626 that was originally there, 323 00:13:13,626 --> 00:13:14,694 and right now I don't have any. 324 00:13:14,694 --> 00:13:16,029 - (Chris) Good stuff, okay. 325 00:13:16,029 --> 00:13:17,497 - I do strip tilling. 326 00:13:17,497 --> 00:13:20,133 Just till one little strip exactly where I put the seeds. 327 00:13:20,133 --> 00:13:22,669 - Yeah, well a vegetable garden I think that's cool. 328 00:13:22,669 --> 00:13:24,137 That's fine. 329 00:13:24,137 --> 00:13:26,172 Maybe not on my permanent vegetables, I mean perennial. 330 00:13:26,172 --> 00:13:28,074 I'm gonna do some perennial vegetables 331 00:13:28,074 --> 00:13:30,043 around my new garden plot, 332 00:13:30,043 --> 00:13:31,878 and I'm probably not gonna till that 333 00:13:31,878 --> 00:13:33,880 every year by any means. 334 00:13:33,880 --> 00:13:36,149 Anyway, another is container plants 335 00:13:36,149 --> 00:13:38,885 are always better than being big. 336 00:13:40,053 --> 00:13:41,454 Of course, it turns out that container plants 337 00:13:41,454 --> 00:13:42,989 have their own set of problems, 338 00:13:42,989 --> 00:13:45,391 which is root girdling which I was not a big believer in. 339 00:13:45,391 --> 00:13:46,592 Now I'm convinced. 340 00:13:46,592 --> 00:13:48,428 And now with these days of looking online 341 00:13:48,428 --> 00:13:50,530 and finding lots of good images, 342 00:13:50,530 --> 00:13:52,265 you can find the coolest pictures 343 00:13:52,265 --> 00:13:54,133 of what circling roots can do. 344 00:13:54,133 --> 00:13:55,702 They actually wrap around a lot of times 345 00:13:55,702 --> 00:13:57,403 especially when they're planted too deep, 346 00:13:57,403 --> 00:14:00,073 and they will girdle that trunk so severely 347 00:14:00,073 --> 00:14:01,374 that it's just like you put 348 00:14:01,374 --> 00:14:05,344 a piece of steel twine or a wire around it. 349 00:14:05,344 --> 00:14:08,147 It also makes them snap at that point, too. 350 00:14:08,147 --> 00:14:09,415 So you got to be sure 351 00:14:09,415 --> 00:14:10,750 if you are planting container plants 352 00:14:10,750 --> 00:14:12,351 to get those roots teased out 353 00:14:12,351 --> 00:14:15,354 or saw through them with a serrated saw, 354 00:14:15,354 --> 00:14:16,856 or B & B material, 355 00:14:16,856 --> 00:14:20,326 which if it's been properly grown is actually not, 356 00:14:20,326 --> 00:14:21,894 All those roots are going to be going out in the soil 357 00:14:21,894 --> 00:14:23,663 like they're supposed to. 358 00:14:23,663 --> 00:14:24,497 - Let's go back again. 359 00:14:24,497 --> 00:14:26,332 So, B & B stands for? 360 00:14:26,332 --> 00:14:27,633 - Ball and burlap. 361 00:14:27,633 --> 00:14:28,968 You dig up a root ball. 362 00:14:28,968 --> 00:14:30,436 You wrap it in burlap. 363 00:14:30,436 --> 00:14:31,671 Another myth was 364 00:14:31,671 --> 00:14:32,905 you could leave it on there because it'll rot. 365 00:14:32,905 --> 00:14:34,140 - I was just about to ask you that. 366 00:14:34,140 --> 00:14:35,341 So what about that one? 367 00:14:35,341 --> 00:14:36,175 - You do not. 368 00:14:36,175 --> 00:14:37,376 You take it off. 369 00:14:37,376 --> 00:14:38,544 If it rotted that fast would you use it? 370 00:14:38,544 --> 00:14:40,246 (Chris laughs) 371 00:14:40,246 --> 00:14:41,748 - Right. 372 00:14:41,748 --> 00:14:43,449 - And also they don't even use real burlap these days. 373 00:14:43,449 --> 00:14:45,451 They have some kind of synthetic product 374 00:14:45,451 --> 00:14:47,353 that looks like burlap. 375 00:14:47,353 --> 00:14:49,689 You want those roots to get as in touch with that soil 376 00:14:49,689 --> 00:14:51,190 as fast as they can. 377 00:14:51,190 --> 00:14:53,359 Take off the cage, take off the burlap, take off the wire. 378 00:14:53,359 --> 00:14:54,794 Do whatever you can 379 00:14:54,794 --> 00:14:58,431 to actually get naked roots in touch with the soil 380 00:14:58,431 --> 00:14:59,732 where it's gonna be growing, 381 00:14:59,732 --> 00:15:01,834 and water in well, water in deeply. 382 00:15:01,834 --> 00:15:03,970 - Okay, water in well, water in deeply. 383 00:15:03,970 --> 00:15:06,038 - Yes, even if you have rain, if you have irrigation, 384 00:15:06,038 --> 00:15:07,974 that first soaking you need to really 385 00:15:07,974 --> 00:15:09,776 get that root ball settled in and soaked. 386 00:15:09,776 --> 00:15:11,110 - Okay. 387 00:15:11,110 --> 00:15:12,612 - We used to hear B & B material 388 00:15:12,612 --> 00:15:15,114 could only be planted in the winter when it's dormant. 389 00:15:15,114 --> 00:15:17,483 But truth is if it's been well handled, 390 00:15:17,483 --> 00:15:20,486 root pruned, wrapped in a good ball of burlap, 391 00:15:20,486 --> 00:15:22,054 there's a lot of good intact roots 392 00:15:22,054 --> 00:15:24,023 in that plant right there. 393 00:15:24,023 --> 00:15:25,892 You can certainly plant them year round 394 00:15:25,892 --> 00:15:26,959 as long as you're willing to water, 395 00:15:26,959 --> 00:15:28,127 which is the same thing 396 00:15:28,127 --> 00:15:30,163 you had to do with container plants anyway. 397 00:15:30,163 --> 00:15:31,964 So, that is another myth. 398 00:15:31,964 --> 00:15:33,432 They also used to tell you 399 00:15:33,432 --> 00:15:34,934 be sure you don't let that root ball come apart. 400 00:15:34,934 --> 00:15:36,736 Keep that soil. 401 00:15:36,736 --> 00:15:38,838 Now they discovered if you knock all that soil off 402 00:15:38,838 --> 00:15:41,574 and plant it and get it into contact 403 00:15:41,574 --> 00:15:43,509 with the soil where it's gonna be growing, 404 00:15:43,509 --> 00:15:45,044 it'll actually grow a lot faster 405 00:15:45,044 --> 00:15:48,548 than the one that is kept in the original root ball. 406 00:15:48,548 --> 00:15:50,750 So, somebody finally does research. 407 00:15:50,750 --> 00:15:52,485 If we got time for more, 408 00:15:52,485 --> 00:15:54,787 the idea that raw wood chips 409 00:15:54,787 --> 00:15:59,458 are always a bad idea for mulching established plants. 410 00:15:59,458 --> 00:16:01,861 It is a bad idea if you're tilling it in, 411 00:16:01,861 --> 00:16:04,297 and little baby plants it's gonna rob the nitrogen, 412 00:16:04,297 --> 00:16:06,399 and it could certainly deprive them 413 00:16:06,399 --> 00:16:08,234 of the nutrition they need for growth. 414 00:16:08,234 --> 00:16:09,902 But, if you're just using raw wood chips 415 00:16:09,902 --> 00:16:12,271 to put on the top of the ground 416 00:16:12,271 --> 00:16:13,573 around well established plants, 417 00:16:13,573 --> 00:16:14,407 it does not steal the nitrogen. 418 00:16:14,407 --> 00:16:15,675 - Does not, does not. 419 00:16:15,675 --> 00:16:17,243 - Does not. 420 00:16:17,243 --> 00:16:18,945 It's a perfectly good source, 421 00:16:18,945 --> 00:16:20,680 and a good way to recycle things 422 00:16:20,680 --> 00:16:22,682 and help them from hauling those kinds of things 423 00:16:22,682 --> 00:16:23,749 off to the landfill. 424 00:16:23,749 --> 00:16:24,584 - Okay. 425 00:16:24,584 --> 00:16:25,952 - Talk about fertilizer, 426 00:16:25,952 --> 00:16:27,486 people have misconceptions about fertilizer 427 00:16:27,486 --> 00:16:30,456 being good for plants and what types of fertilizer. 428 00:16:30,456 --> 00:16:34,627 Number one, most of our soils have plenty of P and K, 429 00:16:34,627 --> 00:16:36,195 so usually you don't have to add a lot of that. 430 00:16:36,195 --> 00:16:39,131 You really don't have to fertilize a woody plant at all. 431 00:16:39,131 --> 00:16:40,366 You really don't. 432 00:16:40,366 --> 00:16:41,601 We've got plenty of nutrition in the soil. 433 00:16:41,601 --> 00:16:43,603 The plants out in the woods have done fine 434 00:16:43,603 --> 00:16:44,904 without anybody helping them out. 435 00:16:44,904 --> 00:16:46,439 We like to. 436 00:16:46,439 --> 00:16:48,875 We like to get rich growth and push them along a little bit. 437 00:16:48,875 --> 00:16:51,777 People assume manure is always a good idea. 438 00:16:51,777 --> 00:16:53,546 It's a good organic source. 439 00:16:53,546 --> 00:16:54,981 It breaks down slow. 440 00:16:54,981 --> 00:16:57,316 Some plants don't like manure. 441 00:16:57,316 --> 00:16:58,818 We discovered that the hard way 442 00:16:58,818 --> 00:17:00,953 because we thought, well, grew up on a dairy farm 443 00:17:00,953 --> 00:17:03,556 and when we switched over to being a blueberry orchard 444 00:17:03,556 --> 00:17:06,158 we put manure on everything. 445 00:17:06,158 --> 00:17:07,627 Blueberries don't like manure. 446 00:17:07,627 --> 00:17:09,128 It's too alkaline. 447 00:17:10,429 --> 00:17:13,966 And most of our ornamentals like an acid soil, 448 00:17:13,966 --> 00:17:16,769 hollies, camellias, azaleas. 449 00:17:16,769 --> 00:17:17,970 - (Tom) Gardenias. 450 00:17:17,970 --> 00:17:20,239 - Yes, they do not like that alkaline soil. 451 00:17:20,239 --> 00:17:23,976 So, don't make that assumption manure is always a good idea. 452 00:17:23,976 --> 00:17:26,412 - Does manure contain a lot of salt? 453 00:17:26,412 --> 00:17:28,547 - I don't know if it's salt, it's alkaline. 454 00:17:28,547 --> 00:17:30,316 You know, different. 455 00:17:30,316 --> 00:17:33,319 I wouldn't think it would be a high salt thing at all. 456 00:17:33,319 --> 00:17:36,289 Companion plants, you hear that business all the time. 457 00:17:36,289 --> 00:17:37,657 - (Chris) You get it all the time. 458 00:17:37,657 --> 00:17:40,660 - Companion plants, companion plants, compost tea. 459 00:17:40,660 --> 00:17:42,094 (Chris laughs) 460 00:17:42,094 --> 00:17:43,529 I read somewhere say, 461 00:17:43,529 --> 00:17:45,631 "Why would you think a diluted product from compost 462 00:17:45,631 --> 00:17:48,768 would be better than actual compost?" 463 00:17:48,768 --> 00:17:51,103 Makes no sense, does it? 464 00:17:51,103 --> 00:17:52,538 They say it cures all ills. 465 00:17:52,538 --> 00:17:55,975 You can use it for curing these diseases and that disease. 466 00:17:55,975 --> 00:17:57,176 True, a healthier plant 467 00:17:57,176 --> 00:18:00,012 might be able to resist some disease. 468 00:18:00,012 --> 00:18:02,481 I really like people to research. 469 00:18:02,481 --> 00:18:04,083 There's some good books out there 470 00:18:04,083 --> 00:18:06,919 the truth about home remedies that you can read, 471 00:18:06,919 --> 00:18:09,422 which ones actually work, because some do, 472 00:18:09,422 --> 00:18:11,357 but a lot of the myth about companion plants 473 00:18:11,357 --> 00:18:13,826 was plants that repel mosquitoes. 474 00:18:13,826 --> 00:18:15,294 I watch them land, 475 00:18:15,294 --> 00:18:17,330 I watched a mosquito land right on that citronella leaf. 476 00:18:17,330 --> 00:18:19,098 (Chris laughs) 477 00:18:19,098 --> 00:18:20,266 I'm like, "Really?" 478 00:18:20,266 --> 00:18:21,334 - Didn't do a thing to it, huh? 479 00:18:21,334 --> 00:18:22,902 - No, but people swear by it, 480 00:18:22,902 --> 00:18:24,870 because they didn't have mosquitoes that summer. 481 00:18:24,870 --> 00:18:26,072 Well, there was some other reason 482 00:18:26,072 --> 00:18:27,540 you didn't have mosquitoes that summer. 483 00:18:27,540 --> 00:18:30,509 It had nothing to do with your citronella plant. 484 00:18:30,509 --> 00:18:33,112 - You know, that's one you see on the Internet all the time, 485 00:18:33,112 --> 00:18:35,247 recommended plants to repel mosquitoes. 486 00:18:35,247 --> 00:18:36,716 How about that. 487 00:18:36,716 --> 00:18:38,684 - Somebody said put a little mint in your house 488 00:18:38,684 --> 00:18:41,120 and the mice will scamper away. 489 00:18:41,120 --> 00:18:42,555 I'm like, "Really?" 490 00:18:42,555 --> 00:18:46,025 So yeah, we have to be careful about these things. 491 00:18:46,025 --> 00:18:47,827 If it sounds too good to be true, it's probably not-- 492 00:18:47,827 --> 00:18:48,928 - It probably is. 493 00:18:48,928 --> 00:18:50,162 Carol, that's some good stuff. 494 00:18:50,162 --> 00:18:51,097 I'd been waiting for that. 495 00:18:51,097 --> 00:18:52,031 That's some really good stuff. 496 00:18:52,031 --> 00:18:53,866 Thank you very much, alright. 497 00:18:53,866 --> 00:18:58,070 [upbeat gentle guitar music] 498 00:18:58,070 --> 00:19:00,406 Let's take a look at our bean plants here. 499 00:19:00,406 --> 00:19:02,008 As you can see, 500 00:19:02,008 --> 00:19:04,944 a lot of the older leaves are yellow, are yellowing, 501 00:19:04,944 --> 00:19:06,212 and to me that's usually 502 00:19:06,212 --> 00:19:09,081 an indication of nitrogen deficiency. 503 00:19:09,081 --> 00:19:11,384 It starts in your older leaves first. 504 00:19:11,384 --> 00:19:14,186 Then it moves up the plant to your younger leaves. 505 00:19:14,186 --> 00:19:17,256 So, what we need to do is add more nitrogen to it. 506 00:19:17,256 --> 00:19:19,658 Beans are legumes, and even though 507 00:19:19,658 --> 00:19:22,828 they actually do fix nitrogen from the atmosphere 508 00:19:22,828 --> 00:19:24,430 and pull it down into the roots, 509 00:19:24,430 --> 00:19:27,466 they can still be deficient in nitrogen. 510 00:19:27,466 --> 00:19:31,003 So therefore, you need to add a nitrogen fertilizer to it 511 00:19:31,003 --> 00:19:32,371 to green those leaves up, 512 00:19:32,371 --> 00:19:34,507 especially for your new growth. 513 00:19:34,507 --> 00:19:38,044 Just put it right outside the drip line of your bean plants. 514 00:19:38,044 --> 00:19:39,745 Make sure you get that watered in. 515 00:19:39,745 --> 00:19:41,180 Once you get that watered in 516 00:19:41,180 --> 00:19:44,250 you will start to see your newer growth 517 00:19:44,250 --> 00:19:45,418 become a lot greener. 518 00:19:45,418 --> 00:19:46,619 It's not gonna do anything 519 00:19:46,619 --> 00:19:48,387 for the ones that are already deficient, 520 00:19:48,387 --> 00:19:49,688 but again, your newer growth 521 00:19:49,688 --> 00:19:51,991 will be nice, pretty, and green. 522 00:19:51,991 --> 00:19:56,028 [upbeat gentle guitar music] 523 00:19:56,028 --> 00:19:57,263 Alright, here's our Q&A session. 524 00:19:57,263 --> 00:19:58,631 Mr. Tom, you jump in there and help us out 525 00:19:58,631 --> 00:20:00,499 being a master gardener and all, alright? 526 00:20:00,499 --> 00:20:01,701 - Okay. 527 00:20:01,701 --> 00:20:03,135 - So, here's our first viewer email. 528 00:20:03,135 --> 00:20:07,406 "What causes a plum tree   to flower every year 529 00:20:07,406 --> 00:20:08,674 but not give any fruit?" 530 00:20:08,674 --> 00:20:10,376 And this is from Peter. 531 00:20:10,376 --> 00:20:12,878 So Miss Carol, I remember you sent us out 532 00:20:12,878 --> 00:20:15,147 a publication about this once before 533 00:20:15,147 --> 00:20:17,316 about fruit plants that needed pollinators. 534 00:20:17,316 --> 00:20:18,617 So, what say you about this? 535 00:20:18,617 --> 00:20:19,719 - It's a lonely plum. 536 00:20:19,719 --> 00:20:21,721 (Chris laughs) 537 00:20:21,721 --> 00:20:22,588 It's lonely. 538 00:20:22,588 --> 00:20:24,924 - (Chris) It's lonely? 539 00:20:24,924 --> 00:20:26,258 - You know, they're perfect flowers. 540 00:20:26,258 --> 00:20:27,760 Everything in the Rosaceae family 541 00:20:27,760 --> 00:20:30,996 does have male and female on the same flower, 542 00:20:30,996 --> 00:20:32,631 but it needs a separate individual. 543 00:20:32,631 --> 00:20:34,133 It doesn't want to pollinate itself. 544 00:20:34,133 --> 00:20:35,501 That's not a good idea. 545 00:20:35,501 --> 00:20:37,036 That's like inbreeding. 546 00:20:37,036 --> 00:20:39,205 So, it needs a cross pollinator. 547 00:20:39,205 --> 00:20:41,507 So, I don't know what kind they have. 548 00:20:41,507 --> 00:20:42,808 - Right, yeah, that's right. 549 00:20:42,808 --> 00:20:45,111 It just says a plum tree, so right. 550 00:20:45,111 --> 00:20:47,012 - Some have been bred to be self fertile, 551 00:20:47,012 --> 00:20:48,681 but it sounds like their's is not, 552 00:20:48,681 --> 00:20:50,683 and most people don't know what they have 553 00:20:50,683 --> 00:20:52,184 unless they just got some. 554 00:20:52,184 --> 00:20:55,087 So, I'd say just go get a couple other, two different types, 555 00:20:55,087 --> 00:20:57,957 then you kind of ensure that you have a pollinator 556 00:20:57,957 --> 00:21:02,294 and plant those near for the insects to ferry the pollen. 557 00:21:02,294 --> 00:21:05,164 - It would help if they knew the variety, 558 00:21:05,164 --> 00:21:06,365 because if you know the variety 559 00:21:06,365 --> 00:21:08,501 some as you said are self pollinators 560 00:21:08,501 --> 00:21:11,270 and some do require companions. 561 00:21:11,270 --> 00:21:12,238 - (Carol) Yes. 562 00:21:12,238 --> 00:21:14,773 - So it's a lonely plum. 563 00:21:14,773 --> 00:21:16,242 Alright, yeah, because I remember that. 564 00:21:16,242 --> 00:21:18,077 You sent it out to all the agents 565 00:21:18,077 --> 00:21:20,346 about what fruit trees require pollinators and such. 566 00:21:20,346 --> 00:21:22,014 So, that's always good information. 567 00:21:22,014 --> 00:21:24,216 Alright Peter, so I hope that helps you out. 568 00:21:24,216 --> 00:21:26,018 Here's our next viewer email. 569 00:21:26,018 --> 00:21:28,821 "The last several days my   zucchini has been blooming, 570 00:21:28,821 --> 00:21:31,991 "but I've noticed only   one or two female flowers. 571 00:21:31,991 --> 00:21:34,226 "This morning I counted   and there were 20 flowers, 572 00:21:34,226 --> 00:21:35,928 "but none of them were female. 573 00:21:35,928 --> 00:21:37,596 "Is there a reason for this? 574 00:21:37,596 --> 00:21:39,031 "Is there anything I can do 575 00:21:39,031 --> 00:21:42,668 to encourage more female   flower blossoms on my zucchini?" 576 00:21:42,668 --> 00:21:45,938 And this is from Mr. Mike   in Ringgold, Georgia. 577 00:21:45,938 --> 00:21:47,540 Thank you, Mr. Mike. 578 00:21:47,540 --> 00:21:48,507 So, here's the question. 579 00:21:48,507 --> 00:21:49,975 "Is there anything I can do 580 00:21:49,975 --> 00:21:54,079 to encourage more female flower blossoms on my zucchini?" 581 00:21:54,079 --> 00:21:57,583 - Well, the thing is this is kind of normal 582 00:21:57,583 --> 00:21:59,518 in the beginning of the season. 583 00:21:59,518 --> 00:22:02,555 Just like my plants   in the morning 584 00:22:02,555 --> 00:22:04,523 when they first   started blossoming, 585 00:22:04,523 --> 00:22:08,127 they were all females,   no boys around. 586 00:22:08,127 --> 00:22:10,629 And then as time progresses, 587 00:22:10,629 --> 00:22:12,598 and I got calls about that, 588 00:22:12,598 --> 00:22:13,966 and not just for zucchinis, 589 00:22:13,966 --> 00:22:16,735 but just yellow squash and stuff like that, 590 00:22:16,735 --> 00:22:19,838 and then a little bit later the boys start showing up. 591 00:22:19,838 --> 00:22:21,307 - Mine is usually the other way around. 592 00:22:21,307 --> 00:22:22,241 I have males-- 593 00:22:22,241 --> 00:22:24,343 - Yeah, the males happen first. 594 00:22:24,343 --> 00:22:25,911 - Well they used to, 595 00:22:25,911 --> 00:22:29,248 but one season I'll have the males in the morning, 596 00:22:29,248 --> 00:22:31,550 and then later on I would have females in the afternoon, 597 00:22:31,550 --> 00:22:33,419 by that time the boys are closed, 598 00:22:33,419 --> 00:22:35,387 the boy blossoms are closed up, 599 00:22:35,387 --> 00:22:37,957 and then sometimes it's reversed. 600 00:22:37,957 --> 00:22:39,625 It just depends, like you said. 601 00:22:39,625 --> 00:22:40,826 You have your boys. 602 00:22:40,826 --> 00:22:44,396 But this year, I had all girls this morning, 603 00:22:44,396 --> 00:22:46,232 this morning, in the morning. 604 00:22:46,232 --> 00:22:48,901 And then later on the boys showed up, 605 00:22:48,901 --> 00:22:51,103 and then they finally got together. 606 00:22:51,103 --> 00:22:53,572 - I wondered if the first plant, first tend to be males 607 00:22:53,572 --> 00:22:56,108 because it doesn't take as much energy maybe. 608 00:22:56,108 --> 00:22:57,409 - See, that's what I thought. 609 00:22:57,409 --> 00:22:58,877 I thought it had to do with the energy. 610 00:22:58,877 --> 00:23:00,846 - Yeah, female flowers they have to have an ovary, 611 00:23:00,846 --> 00:23:02,248 and they're gonna make babies. 612 00:23:02,248 --> 00:23:03,749 It's gonna take more from the plant. 613 00:23:03,749 --> 00:23:04,750 - (Chris) And they're larger 614 00:23:04,750 --> 00:23:05,818 blooms though, as well. 615 00:23:05,818 --> 00:23:07,753 So, that's why I thought they required more energy. 616 00:23:07,753 --> 00:23:08,687 - (Carol) That's true. 617 00:23:08,687 --> 00:23:10,055 - Because you need the boys 618 00:23:10,055 --> 00:23:12,258 because the boys are gonna provide 619 00:23:12,258 --> 00:23:13,726 a lot of the pollen, 620 00:23:13,726 --> 00:23:15,427 and so they probably don't require as much energy 621 00:23:15,427 --> 00:23:18,764 as the female blossoms, which are bigger, ovary. 622 00:23:18,764 --> 00:23:19,598 So, that's what I thought. 623 00:23:19,598 --> 00:23:20,532 - That's what I think, 624 00:23:20,532 --> 00:23:22,368 the plant needs to be bigger 625 00:23:22,368 --> 00:23:25,638 to start producing the female. 626 00:23:25,638 --> 00:23:26,572 - I've been getting the girls, 627 00:23:26,572 --> 00:23:29,808 but one of the things you can do 628 00:23:29,808 --> 00:23:31,443 if you want to encourage them-- 629 00:23:31,443 --> 00:23:32,745 - Is mulch with pink. 630 00:23:32,745 --> 00:23:36,081 (Chris laughs) I'm sorry, go ahead. 631 00:23:36,081 --> 00:23:39,385 - Just get one of those little cheap artist brushes, 632 00:23:39,385 --> 00:23:40,953 or even a Q-tip, 633 00:23:40,953 --> 00:23:42,922 and when the boys are open 634 00:23:42,922 --> 00:23:45,824 just go ahead and grab some of the pollen off of it, 635 00:23:45,824 --> 00:23:48,460 and then when the girls show up later then-- 636 00:23:48,460 --> 00:23:49,395 - I'm too lazy. 637 00:23:49,395 --> 00:23:50,129 I'm just gonna wait a week. 638 00:23:50,129 --> 00:23:52,364 (Chris laughs) 639 00:23:52,364 --> 00:23:54,466 - Nature will take its course. 640 00:23:54,466 --> 00:23:55,301 - It will happen. 641 00:23:55,301 --> 00:23:56,602 - So be patient. 642 00:23:56,602 --> 00:23:58,537 - Be patient, Mr. Mike, is the word, 643 00:23:58,537 --> 00:24:00,973 and thank you for that question, alright? 644 00:24:00,973 --> 00:24:02,207 Here's our next viewer email. 645 00:24:02,207 --> 00:24:03,709 "Some of my squash plants 646 00:24:03,709 --> 00:24:05,577 "are big and have   dark green leaves, 647 00:24:05,577 --> 00:24:08,847 "and others are smaller   with light green leaves. 648 00:24:08,847 --> 00:24:11,150 How can I help   the smaller ones?" 649 00:24:11,150 --> 00:24:12,985 This is Lyla. 650 00:24:12,985 --> 00:24:14,386 So Mr. Tom, what do you think? 651 00:24:14,386 --> 00:24:18,457 - Well my garden is like a micro environment. 652 00:24:18,457 --> 00:24:19,792 I had one area 653 00:24:19,792 --> 00:24:22,161 right from one end of my garden to the other 654 00:24:22,161 --> 00:24:24,463 that things just did not like to grow in there. 655 00:24:24,463 --> 00:24:27,766 Both sides of it everything was fine, just that one spot. 656 00:24:27,766 --> 00:24:29,668 So, I ended up fertilizing it a little bit better, 657 00:24:29,668 --> 00:24:32,271 and put some soil amendments in that area 658 00:24:32,271 --> 00:24:34,273 and then now you couldn't tell it was there. 659 00:24:34,273 --> 00:24:38,010 But I think I would probably give it a little bit more work 660 00:24:38,010 --> 00:24:39,211 on those weaker ones, 661 00:24:39,211 --> 00:24:41,180 give them a little bit better fertilizer. 662 00:24:41,180 --> 00:24:42,848 - Could be drainage is a little bad? 663 00:24:42,848 --> 00:24:44,016 - See, that's where I was going. 664 00:24:44,016 --> 00:24:47,386 I thought maybe drainage might be an issue. 665 00:24:47,386 --> 00:24:49,321 First thing that came to my mind. 666 00:24:49,321 --> 00:24:51,223 - Good drainage might be a good one. 667 00:24:51,223 --> 00:24:53,425 - Drainage, because they were larger leaves. 668 00:24:53,425 --> 00:24:55,361 Now you have the light green leaves. 669 00:24:55,361 --> 00:24:57,463 So, I thought maybe drainage could be an issue. 670 00:24:57,463 --> 00:24:59,999 - And like Carol mentioned before, 671 00:24:59,999 --> 00:25:04,169 I think we all know that plants like air too, the roots. 672 00:25:05,070 --> 00:25:06,905 And again, it could be 673 00:25:08,240 --> 00:25:12,444 just the soil in that particular spot could be different. 674 00:25:12,444 --> 00:25:15,247 - Could be Miss Lyla, so there you have it. 675 00:25:15,247 --> 00:25:18,050 Alright, so Mr. Tom, Miss Carol, we're out of time. 676 00:25:18,050 --> 00:25:19,852 Fun as always. - Real fun. 677 00:25:19,852 --> 00:25:22,321 - Remember, we love   to hear from you. 678 00:25:22,321 --> 00:25:24,056 Send us an email or letter. 679 00:25:24,056 --> 00:25:27,693 The email address is   familyplot@wkno.org, 680 00:25:27,693 --> 00:25:29,595 and the mailing   address is Family Plot 681 00:25:29,595 --> 00:25:31,497 7151 Cherry Farms Road, 682 00:25:32,398 --> 00:25:35,100 Cordova, Tennessee 38016. 683 00:25:35,100 --> 00:25:39,505 Or, you could go online   to FamilyPlotGarden.com. 684 00:25:39,505 --> 00:25:41,173 That's all we have time for today. 685 00:25:41,173 --> 00:25:43,008 Need some gardening advice? 686 00:25:43,008 --> 00:25:45,611 Head on over to FamilyPlotGarden.com. 687 00:25:45,611 --> 00:25:46,812 We have hundreds of videos 688 00:25:46,812 --> 00:25:48,414 on all sorts of gardening topics 689 00:25:48,414 --> 00:25:51,517 to help you and your plants be successful this year. 690 00:25:51,517 --> 00:25:52,351 Thanks for watching. 691 00:25:52,351 --> 00:25:53,852 I'm Chris Cooper. 692 00:25:53,852 --> 00:25:56,121 Be sure to join us next week for The Family Plot: 693 00:25:56,121 --> 00:25:57,289 Gardening in the Mid South. 694 00:25:57,289 --> 00:25:59,058 Be safe. 695 00:25:59,058 --> 00:26:02,327 [upbeat gentle guitar music]