Totally agree with your view of Houston planting whatever says full sun put in part shade. I live in Denton Texas but the sun is so hot, it does bake our flowers. I am learning the hard way. full sun equals part shade in texas.
I've found I have to recalculate for my zone 7b in Tennessee the same way. It isn't always consistent but I try to play it safe so I'm not having to perpetually replace burned up or dried out plants.
Last bad poison Ivy rash I had was in the crook of my elbow. It took me a while to remember that I had held a wooden shovel handle there & really mashed it into sweaty skin. I'm super careful about exposure. Maybe it's my fair skin but I wash off if I've been near it & keep old pruners just for Ivy. I cut & dab the cut end with full strength herbicide on a small foam paint brush I keep just for that. Always enjoy your Q&As, you have so much experience & information. I'm not pushing plants with fertilizer as much & have less pests & disease due to your advice. Newly bought plants often seem to need to detox from high fertilizer applications from the growers. They really push them in retail! Happy holiday & remember freedom!
Anyone asking about poison ivy, my dad always soaked his things in dawn dish soap and water. Then the clothing was washed in vinegar and detergent. He washed everything with dawn dish soap. He was very sensitive to the poison ivy. Didn’t have problems after that.
Dawn seems particularly good at breaking down oils, that's what I use to clean off my equipment and boots after dealing with poison ivy. I just launder the clothes with Miele laundry detergent but that seems to do the trick (I suspect any laundry detergent would do it because they are formulated to break down greasy stains). I also use some heavy duty long black rubber gloves (such as they use in chem labs) after I saw the poison ivy professionals using them (had to get them in to deal with some large patches). You just wash the gloves off in a bucket with some Dawn in it.
As a central Texas gardener I have definitely learned that when a tag says full sun for zone 8b does not mean full TEXAS sun. The sun has killed more plants than I care to admit because our sun is brutal in the summer.
Yes! Central Valley California too. 102 or more for days well into October. I lost a few nice plants because I believed the tag☹ until I figured it out.
Same here. We're also in zone 9 CA. I'd describe it as high desert temps most of the time with strong wind in the early evening. Heat, intense sun, then warm wind, but a cool night. SMH it's an experiment. What's working for you?
Texas 8b here and I'm just now learning this about butterfly bushes. I just don't think they can tolerate our heat and humidity in the full sun. Already lost several.
Yarrow does well and Salvias. They are on a drip system. I have a Russian Sage I am trying out. Fingers crossed. I have lots of the usual plants , but they get afternoon shade. All are on drip watering.
Thank you for the advice you gave for Texas. I live in Galveston County zone 9b and I have felt like I was doing something wrong on some of my plants. It is HOT for sure. Love your channel. Such a wealth of information. Thank you
I'm in Charlotte, and I had Lantana's that were still in their little pots through this past winter and they somehow survived. I didn't protect them either because I honestly didn't think they were going to come back. In June, I was getting ready to throw them out but noticed they were putting out new growth.
Put them out.. I had a similar situation with my quarter gallon lantanas and I planted them in a full sun spot a couple of weeks ago - (Texas 8a). It’s put on a ton of new growth, but it’s also on a drip irrigation timer. I’ve found lantanas are pretty sturdy. Having planting them in soil early/mid fall and they returned after last years record cold snap. Happy gardening!!
Looking forward to your video about gardening on a slope. I live in the mountians so that would be very helpful. Enjoy your no nonsense approach to gardening.
Always love your weeping redbud in the background. Because of seeing this beautiful tree on your video last year, I bought me a Rising Sun Redbud. I’m loving it. I’m looking at getting a Flame Thrower Redbud. They are so pretty.
I bought a rising sun redbud sapling last year through mail order. It barely survived the winter. One of the few things that I purchased last year that I wish I had spent the extra money to get something a bit bigger and more established. Next spring, I think I will replace the sapling with a more "grown up" rising sun as I won't be in my current house long enough to enough watching the sapling grow up.
@@coopyduck6901 Mine was a stick with a few leaves at the top, about the same height as yours. Due to the initially mild winter, it actually started blooming a bit in late December / early January. Then it got hit with snow / ice storm, etc. It never did bloom this spring. It eventually put out some limbs / leaves right about the graft. Never did do anything further up. I finally checked and the upper part of the stick / trunk was dead. The leaves are pretty but they are all right at ground level.
thanks Jim for answering the apple cedar rust Q. i agree. i have decided i don't want to be following a constant spraying program to keep my serviceberry limping along. we have a ton of eastern red cedar (you're right, they're technically junipers) in my neighborhood (one neighbor had to plant per D.E.C. and has to keep to obtain their permits to build) so i'm up against a never ending battle. i've come to the very sad decision to remove it. --- thanks and great info as always!!
Jim, I have a question. I got a huge container filled with soil and plants, from someone who was moving. As I was removing some of the sad-looking plants, I discovered a large number of roly-poly bugs in the soil. I've never dealt with roly-polies and I'm wondering if those bugs were why certain plants in that container were dying❓
The information you provided about spraying poison ivy in the autumn also applies to invasive running bamboo. I read where spraying glyphosate on the bamboo in autumn when it’s “breathing in” offers a more effective killing treatment than when sprayed in other seasons. I will be spraying my running bamboo in my back yard wooded area in about late October. You may want to mention this for viewers in your next Q&A video. I think it may be a growing problem that most people are not aware of.
Jim, I love your channel. I've been watching for a few months now. It's always so informative. I'm in Minnesota, so you have some plants I've never heard of and obviously can't grow, but it's fun to learn about them as well! Thanks for the videos!
Question: could you do a primer on the care of warm season ornamental plants to ensure their vigor year after year? You have frequently advised to cut back in late winter and to NOT transplant these grasses in the fall. Specifically, I have numerous plantings of dwarf pennisetums (Little Bunny, Piglet, Hameln). They are all in full sun, planted in well draining slopes (or well amended with pine bark fines & permatil or crushed granite). I typically cut them back to 2-4” in early March in 7a MD. Usually do not see new growth until May, when it starts to really heat up. The first 2 years, all grew beautifully. By the 3rd year, I frequently see less new growth on some of the plants. This year we had a cool spring and I didn’t see much new growth until June. I determined numerous plants were completely dead, even though a plant nearby was flourishing. The dead plants seem to have root rot. What am I doing wrong? Should I divide partially alive plants and replant immediately in June? Concise instructions are welcomed! I had 8 plants (3-5 years old) completely die this year…ouch. Thank you, Jim.
Thanks for the info on getting rid of poison ivy, Jim! I recently went to a med center for poison ivy and the dr told me to use Tecnu Extreme after I worked around poison ivy. It removes the oils from the ivy. I keep it near my hose and when I'm finished working in my yard, I scrub myself with it. So far, so good!
Technu is good. The best thing for me, so far is dawn dishwashing liquid. Same idea...wash thoroughly after exposure and pat dry. I work as a gardener and seem to be very susceptible to PI, so sometimes will wash my forearms and hands like this 2-3 times in a day. works well for me.
My husband has intense reactions to poison ivy. If exposed, we use Tecnu to wash clothes, tools, door knobs....He even showers using Tecnu. It's been a game changer for us.
Pour boiling hot water over the roots, make sure you use an entire kettle of boiling water. I kill all my vines, weeds etc that I don’t want in my garden.
Love these q&a videos. I particularly enjoy playing the playlist and listening while I do things. Q: I've got ajuga and Mondo grass underpanting larger hostas. HOA sees 'dirt' in these new garden spots. 🙄 I'm kind of reluctant to put creeping Jenny, so it'll pop in the compost and shut their pieholes . I explained that it's not a mature garden, and hope that will suffice. What other plants could be planted? I've got epimediums, bleeding heart, ferns and astilbe sprinkled throughout that front garden. Everything is under 2 large oaks
I’m in 7a MD. Under our oaks, I successfully grow (your perennial list) plus tiarella, green & gold, lamium, Japanese forest grass, various carex, woodland phlox, bigroot geranium, aralia sun king, pulmonaria, wild ginger, brunnera, and Lenten rose. In the shrub family: leucothoe, dwarf sweet box/sarcoccoa, dwarf Bananappeal illicium, dwarf nandina, kalmia, dwarf skimmia. Added bonus, everything mentioned is very deer resistant for me. Good luck!
@@mdwalker3034 WOW! Thank you! I've tried lamium. I'm on my third plant now. I really wish I could get it to grow, do you do anything special? The one I have is fading fast, and I was going to pot it up and try to bring it back. I have dry shade on drip irrigation. Maybe it needs more water?
@@juliannetaylor9989 what zone /state are you in? I have two kinds of lamium. Hermann’s Pride (yellow flowers) which spreads slowly in very loamy dry soil in both part & full shade. I rarely water because we receive adequate rainfall. The other kind I have is the maculatum / spotted dead nettle varieties. Several varieties planted in full shade. Soil stays quite damp. They suffer a bit in the hot summer for me too. Something eats on their leaves. I usually cut them back and they reflush when it cools down. Hope this helps!
Wish you would do some full sun tours for zone 9. It's soooo hard to find plants that can survive my full sun yard here in South Louisiana. I don't buy anything that says part sun and am really skeptical of full sun plants that are only rated to a zone 9. The intense heat and lack of rain took its toll this spring/early summer on everything!
I did a good job of protecting myself when I removed my poison ivy. Unfortunately I forgot to throw out my gloves and used the gloves for the next two days. By the second day I was covered. I will not make that mistake again.
How are your Romeo and Juliet Cleyera plants developing? Those are my favorite plants. It took me over 12 months to find them and some online stores ripped me off substituting other Cleyeras. Finally bought a dozen real ones at a nursery and planted them in the last 3 weeks. Of course, it has been no rain, all sun and over 100 degrees every day for a month in Central Texas.
I had a horrible reaction to poison ivy last summer. So bad I needed to go to urgent care and get medication. Not fun to say the least. I sprayed it immediately, I wasn't touching that stuff with a 10 foot pole.
Appreciate your explanation for the Houston area. Since we get rather hot in Slidell, Louisiana, much of it likely applies for us as well. Will think natives for areas that cook.
Hi Jim, we have a japanese maple tree that is about 15 ft tall and very thin. I assume the prior owner never pruned it. Is it possible to prune it back hard to thicken it out?
Regarding poison ivy I’d add that in addition to steps taken in the fall, to also be on the look out in spring and hit them with weed killer before the get going. I have even marked the trees so I know exactly where to look in spring. Also, treat all skin that may have come in contact with poison ivy with Tecnu, as soon as you can. It’s great if you know you have a bad reaction. Plan A try not to be exposed. Plan B use a post exposure product like Technu.
Great info, as usual, thanks!! Happy Independence Day! 🇺🇸 Perfect TH-cam collaboration would be Jim to visit John from John Lord’s Secret Garden. Think about it if you’re ever in Ireland, Jim! 😉👍
Uh oh……guilty as charged on the “Full Sun” tagged plants lol. I just planted 3 / Cast in Bronze Distilyums and 2 Purple Pixie Loropetalums here in Zone 9a Central Florida…Southeast exposure….. I guess time will tell….
Hi Jim can you do a video on how to prune and shape Japanese maples? I have an ukijumo maple that had beautiful form when I bought from nursery three seasons ago, now it’s grown so unruly, I don’t know where to begin to regain its beautiful form.
They really ARE bad about digging plants up! But on the good side- (& there's always a good side!) They are digging up grubs & other larvae in the ground which like to munch on my plant roots! So they really are nature's garden exterminator, and doing us all a favor! Now if I can only try NOT to be mad at them for tossing my daffodil bulbs into the yard, I'll be ONE with nature & its ways! The struggle is real...
Rats in your yard! LOL! That's hilarious. I love chipmunks. Not sure why, but I just think they're adorable. I do have a big squirrel problem though. They dig, yes. They bury. They un-bury. LOL! The worst is black walnuts. I find black walnut trees popping up in my landscape all the time because they buy those darned things everywhere. So squirrels and new black walnut trees are a constant battle.
Rats are a fact of life for many. I moved to a PNW suburb and found I had them. Turns out I was providing them with all the comforts of home - sunflower seeds and a birdbath, cover in a patch of ivy growing in the dry shade of conifers, and some vegetables. 🤦🏻♀️ We removed the water and food for a while and trapped one last season and haven’t seen any more signs, so hopefully they’ve moved on. Now it’s just squirrels and bunnies….🤷🏻♀️
I love watching your videos, they're so relaxing and beautiful while being educational. Turning us all into professionals! I do have a question I hope you can answer as complicated as it might be, or perhaps someone in the comments can help out. I have tried 3 times (before it got too hot) to plant a starter plug Clematis (crystal fountain if it matters) in zone 7a, but every time it will stay alive for a week or so and then dry up and die. I'm not really sure what I'm doing wrong or if clematis is just notoriously hard to establish? I have many other plants I planted this year and all have flourished but the Clematis :(
New gardener observation here. I’ve seen my perennials really look bad the first and sometimes the second year after planting, to the point that I write them off. Then they will reappear and take off. This has happened with multiple types, salvia, clematis, lavender, camellia, gardenia, etc. I didn’t know they would actually appear sick or dead for so long and then look so good. I’m Pacific Northwest 8b. I do not get the kind of sun that you do.
This is the first time my garden has been invaded by Japanese beetles. So much destruction! The traps are working, but how can I prepare next Spring before they hatch/appear? Thank you.
The question about adding clay to a pot made me want to ask if you could add clay to sandy loam soil. My soil is 44% sand, 39% silt, and 17% clay. I would love to be able to add some clay to increase its moisture retention, especially in the extreme heat/drought that cycles too regularly through north Texas. I've added compost, leaves, and wood chips for many years, but it hasn't helped to hold the moisture in the soil as much as I had hoped. I would have no idea what to buy, how much to use, or how I would incorporate it into to an established bed, or if I should even mess with the soil structure like this at all. Any advice?
I got 2 Gro-Low fragrant sumacs to plant where the poison oak currently grows. They are similar plants so I hope the grow-low does well. Our goats will not eat poison oak until there is nothing else left. Hopefully they won’t touch the Gro-Low fragrant sumac.
We love the squirrels even though they do try to dig up new plantings. However, once they dig under and see that we didn’t bury anything edible underneath the plants they don’t ever bother them again.
Am the opposite, my winter sowing baby breath was destroyed by them ,I try to salvage and replant but they are lifeless, next time I will have to try growing them in a container
Poison ivy: we’ve had good luck killing poison ivy vines that grew in the woods/leaf litter surrounding our home. The poison ivy was popping up all over our perimeter garden beds. In the fall, fill a 5 gallon bucket with 2-3 gallons of water & brush-b-gone concentrate (ratio, according to directions). As best you can, find the the main vine and gather it up. Stick the vine into the bucket. Push the vine down into the concentrate so it’s completely immersed. Leave the bucket with in place for at least 2-3 weeks. The plant will slowly draw the herbicide down into the plant & roots, as it gets ready for winter dormancy. Of course, wear lots of protective clothing, boots & gloves. Immediately, machine wash all clothing in hot water & detergent. Shower immediately with dawn detergent & an old wash cloth…rubbing everywhere.
Tks Jim for sharing all your priceless knowledge in gardening as always!! Can anybody tell me what the plant with the purple stem is right next to Jim on both sides where he is sitting please? 🤔🤷🏻♀️
I absolutely love your videos. Question - when you grow your profusion zinnias, do you start them indoors and how soon do you start yours? I’m zone 3b in Saskatchewan, Canada 🇨🇦. Do you group three plants together? Or just one profusion plant? I started mine indoors and I allowed mine to bloom once and then I pinched them to allow them to bush out. Mine seem to be growing slow and do not look anything like yours. I’m also a fairly new gardener. Anywho yours look beautiful and my goal is to make mine look like yours in the future.
I have a small viburnum hedge planted last fall and I would like to do everything possible to help it thicken up and grow to its potential height. Would it be best to prune the sides to make it bushier or to prune all over for a thicker plant?
I planted an Emperor One Japanese Maple on Mother’s Day this year in my front yard which has lots of sun in afternoon and within the irrigation system. Leaves slowly began to look damaged. After talking to the company I bought it from and showing them the leaves, appears leaves were sun damaged with the irrigation watering and the super hot days. I removed it and put in a container to transplant in fall. Do you think a Flame Thrower redbud will do okay in that spot with the irrigation system?
Hi! I live in Northern Virginia zone 7a and I would like to plant a Mood Ring Podocarpus. Can I risk planting it in a protected spot close to my foundation or should I keep it in a container and bring it in during the winter?
Great video! I look forward to these and learn a lot of nuanced stuff about gardening. Question: I have been growing Purple Pillar Rose of Sharon in my backyard for about 4 years. It's growing against a 6ft wood fence we had installed. On two occasions now (once a couple years ago and once this year) we've had strong enough winds to completely bend the bush over. It's now tied against the fence to keep it growing upright. So my question is 2 fold; 1) Do you think growing certain plants against a solid fence weakens them since they are not getting sun exposure on one whole side of the plant? and 2) Is there a way I can prune this Rose of Sharon to make it a bit sturdier as it grows in?
I have Monarda that is supposedly powdery mildew resistant however it got hit with it anyway this summer. If I cut it back will it flush new healthy growth and flower again? What is best course of action
I have read to preemptively spray with Neem oil or fungicide. They don’t get rid of it after it happens but can help stall it off. I better do this asap to my mine and my zinnias!
I love the grow-along idea. That would be pretty cool for new gardeners that don’t feel comfortable yet, to have basically a group of gardening buddies(you and your followers) doing the exact same thing to be able to bounce questions or ideas off of. With all the new gardeners out there that would be a great resource for them for sure.
Jim, I love your Videos! I have a question for you. My front yard tree destroyed my lawns. There are so many roots getting up on the surface. How can I proven it?
Hey Jim, you recommend using wood chips, are you cautious if they're 100% pine? Also, I grew tithonia this year & one clearly is outperforming all the others... how do I keep it?
What flowering annual could I plant between my blueberry bushes. We have used pine bark mulch and amended the soil with holly tone. Petunia didn’t take…alyssum flopped…. We have strawberries growing between now, but would love some color through the season out there. Thanks! Love watching your videos.
This may be a stupid question. I have clay soil and very hard water. Through the summer months I have to water my gardens because it seems the rain either goes north or south of us, my garden plants don’t grow very well, I’m thinking it’s the water I’m using, is not conducive to the soil or maybe because it’s clay the minerals are “ locked” in and the plants aren’t able to access it. I’m totally confused. I’m an old fart and can’t put loads of compost on my soil or work it into my soil, am I forever going to have plants that grow poorly. I’ve heard clay is mineral rich so I can’t figure out my problem. Maybe I should know the answer to this but I don’t. I do have quite a few worms in my soil so I think my plants are getting help that way but again I’m at a loss. Maybe the best thing to do is have my soil tested? Okay I’m just rambling now, but if you do have any answers I would thank you kindly! 🌸💚🙃
I don't know if this issue is part of your problem, but what you're describing sounds a lot like what was happening in my yard too. This is going to be a long comment... The short story is this: 1.) Chloramines in city water are detrimental to garden soil. (Well, ANY soil!) So filtering the garden hose makes a huge difference! 2.) Adding compost & leaves to clay soil makes all the difference in good soil vs. unhealthy soil. 3.) Applying Gypsum to the soil every year also makes a huge difference over time with nutrient uptake for plants. Here's the long story: I finally figured out it was the Chloramines my city adds to my water which was keeping my plants from thriving. More & more cities across our country (USA) have switched to use Chloramines in the water to try and deliver "clean" water to our houses. Basically - Chloramines are a combination of chlorine and ammonia. In my opinion, it's a terrible mix of chemicals. It doesn't evaporate like chlorine does. It also doesn't have a half life, which means it just never goes away! So = persistent. And since my city pumps it into my house, taking a shower with chloramine water also means breathing in the chemicals thru the shower steam! Many people never notice any effects from this. However, I am one of those who - over time - became very sensitive to it, and ended up getting VERY sick from all the chloramines in my water. I did use a refrigerator filter for my drinking and cooking water, but after I figured out I was getting sick from the chloramines, I found out that a little refrigerator filter does nothing to filter out chloramines. A special type of filter is needed. But that's a whole other story! I only mention it just in case you're consuming chloramines like I was, and my soil & plants were too. It's job is to kill bacteria in the water. It DOES do its job very well- a little too well for soil health... As we all know, soil needs its good bacteria, all the mycorrhiza activity, etc to be healthy and balanced soil which plants can thrive in. When Chloramines are poured into the soil with a water hose, the chloramines kill the good bacteria. Luckily, soil can regenerate the good bacteria, but that does take a good while. I believe my soil was trying to rebuild the good bacteria, and then here I come with another dose of chloramine water to set it back again. It was a Two steps forward, Three steps back kind of situation for my soil! The plants no longer thrived, they got weak, and just looked pitiful all the time. (Actually, that's what happens to people too!) Most new plants never made it through our mild Winters. Perennial plants were no longer perennial in my yard. When I started researching filters for Chloramines, I found a filter I could screw on to my water hose! It's the best thing I've done for my garden in years!! Now my plants are looking good again! The soil is able to rebuild, and STAY healthy with the clean water! The 2nd thing I did was use mushroom blocks to help generate more mycelium and mycorrhizal activity in my soil. A Mushroom Block is a compressed block of organic substrate, about the size of one gallon, and these blocks are used to grow edible mushrooms commercially. When the grower is finished growing with that block, they simply discard them. These blocks have several benefits for great soil health! ▪︎They are loaded with mushroom mycelium. ▪︎The substrate used makes fantastic mulch. ▪︎The block is extremely compostable, so adding it to your soil is exactly the same as adding compost, and upon arrival it's already started to break down. ▪︎Mushroom Mycelium (the "roots" of the mushroom) are also the perfect vehicle to remediate tainted soil, and will not do any harm to any soil or plants. Just the opposite actually!! I highly recommend it!! Talking about clay soil real quick- Yes, clay soil holds tons of nutrients. However, those nutrients are not always bioavailable to plants. So plants growing in clay do not always benefit from those nutients. The clay needs a bit of help from organic matter to release those nutrients. Two things to add will make all the difference in this respect- 1.) Compost (the mushroom blocks ARE compost) 2.) And Gypsum Gypsum is a very slow acting material that is all natural from the earth. Over time it breaks down the clay and helps unlock those nutrients making them available plants. If you've got a lot of clay, adding Gypsum to your soil every year will definitely make a difference. It won't make a difference you can see right away though. It takes something like 3 to 5 years to make a difference (depending on your conditions) but definitely one of those gardening practices that is worth doing. Meanwhile, adding compost, even if it's just used as a top dressing, is the best thing you can do for great soil health. I have big trees which drop A LOT of leaves. I vacuum up those leaves with a leaf blower, and it mulches those leaves into tiny pieces. I then mix the leaves into the soil every chance I get, as well as top dress my garden beds with them. It's free mulch! They work great to keep the moisture from evaporating too fast, helps keep weeds from sprouting, and keeps the soil cool in Summer, and warm in Winter! And when the leaves finally do break down (that takes a while too) they make a wonderful humus in the soil, which is something clay soil is lacking. I've found it's the very best thing for my clay soil. I know this has been a long comment, so Thanks to anyone who made it all the way through!! I hope it can help anyone with chloramine in their city water, it really is a terrible thing to add to any garden. I wish more people would talk about it too. Had I known about how hazardous it is a long time ago, I could have saved my health from going through some very bad times. At any rate, I hope this info has helped. 🌱 💚 🌱
Even if you just buy many bags of compost and spread them on top it will help. It will decompose and sink into the soil over a few years.the worms will do it for you.
Question: The previous owner of my property planted a number of prostrate, ground cover-type evergreens. I don't know the exact cultivars but one looks like blue rug juniper. In any event, they have spread to be quite extensive and I would like to do something else with the spaces they are occupying. I could just pull them out but could possibly use them elsewhere on the property. Is it possible to move them? If so, how and when would you recommend doing that? Can they be cut back? Thanks.
I would love to get an orange rocket barberry here in NY - but they won’t sell , or ship it here. If this kind of barberry is sterile & noninvasive, why can’t they at least sell this one ?
I purchased a dwarf butterfly bush, and when I removed it from the container, it had hardly any roots, except the big roots right at the base of the plant. Basically it wasn't rooted into the container at all. I pruned off all the blooms/buds, watered it in well and mulched it. But it looks terrible --dry leaves and wilting. (Ordered this from Proven Winners, so it had already been beat up a bit on it's journey.) I'm just wondering if I should expect new growth at some point? How long should I wait, if I need to replace it?
Thank you for this video it was very helpful! I have a question….I am harvesting garlic right now and I was wondering if it’s too late to plant fennel where the garlic was? I live in Western North Carolina.
Love watching your Q&A videos each Sunday! I have a question about my strawberry sundae hydrangea I planted this spring. It is absolutely full of flowers right now but I’m having a hard time with the stems flopping over due to the weight of the panicles. Can you stake up hydrangeas? And is this going to be something I’m going to have to constantly deal with? Is there something I can do this winter when I prune it that would help strengthen the stems? Thanks so much!
Hey Jim - I got a golden falls redbud for my first Father’s Day ❤️. Haven’t planted it yet since it’s been so hot and dry in 8a. How much sun is yours getting in that spot?
Hi Jim! My Golden Falls Redbud has holes/notches all throughout its leaves. I noticed it about 3 weeks ago but thought it may be from cutter bees (not that I’ve seen any, but google says they are the cause of said holes lol). What do you think? Any cause for alarm? I live in alabama zone 8b, and planted the tree 2 months ago. I took a picture of the leaves but I’m not sure the best way to send it to you. Thank you!
Since Raleigh is called as City of Oaks, how you deal with those little tiny seedling on spring/summer. They are all popping in my garden bed and I am trying to think how to catch all the acorn in fall from my neighbor oak tree.
We have big oaks in our yard and I go out a few times a week to scan the ground and pull them out. 👍 There are hundreds of them over the spring & early summer, but just a handful or two every day that I go out.
Re: impatiens turning white… I have some Sunpatiens that developed white spots on the flowers after using a sprinkler to water them. Could there be enough chlorine in my municipal water to cause that? I have not observed the problem with any other flowers.
I've seen white spots on some leaves if they have water droplets when the sun is full strength. The water functions like a magnifying glass and heats the area of the leaves under the water drops and bleaches it white. It may affect some kinds of plants more than others. Mine were annual geraniums that I would think have thick enough leaves not to be so sensitive.
❓Leaf Scorch. I’m in 7a. OK. We had a Fireglow Japanese Maple installed in early April. It’s abt 5-6 ft tall. Several leaves have scorched. Is there anything we need to do? Will the tree recover or will this be an ongoing issue? Tree gets abt 5-6 hrs of early to midday sun each day. Shaded by house the rest of day. Thank you so much! Great video as always, Jim!
Heh, heh, I’m curious too now that you mention it. Damn, I wish I was a big healthy guy like Jim. Instead I’m a small sickly woman which makes gardening more difficult. But I’m passionate. Keeps me moving.
I have high PH soil. I’ve planted some Hollie’s in my garden, I use espoma holly tone, I was wondering if it’s possible to use too much holly tone on them ?🌸💚🙃
I believe all the “tones” (Hollytone, Plantone, Rosetone, Biotone , etc.) from the Espoma company are safe compared to others. The “tones” are more like natural manure and won’t damage the plants. Did you notice how it smells? That’s because they use animal products not chemicals. The “tones” enhance the soil over time. The other products that give numbers (NPK) like 10-10-10, etc. are chemicals. These will damage (burn roots,…) if used too much. I use the “tones” on perennials, shrubs, etc. I CAREFULLY use chemicals like Miracle Grow and Osmocote on annuals. The chemicals are not good for the soil so I use sparingly. Too much “tones” will only damage your wallet but not the plant/soil.
Look forward to this video every Sunday. Thank you Jim!
Plants in pots over the winter, subtracting 2 zones. I learned that from you Jim. Saves me a whole lot of work. THANK YOU HortTube man🌳🌳🌳🐕
I love your garden videos- I’ve learned so much. Simple, uncomplicated and beautiful. Thank you Jim !!!🌳
Totally agree with your view of Houston planting whatever says full sun put in part shade. I live in Denton Texas but the sun is so hot, it does bake our flowers. I am learning the hard way. full sun equals part shade in texas.
I've found I have to recalculate for my zone 7b in Tennessee the same way. It isn't always consistent but I try to play it safe so I'm not having to perpetually replace burned up or dried out plants.
Last bad poison Ivy rash I had was in the crook of my elbow. It took me a while to remember that I had held a wooden shovel handle there & really mashed it into sweaty skin. I'm super careful about exposure. Maybe it's my fair skin but I wash off if I've been near it & keep old pruners just for Ivy. I cut & dab the cut end with full strength herbicide on a small foam paint brush I keep just for that.
Always enjoy your Q&As, you have so much experience & information. I'm not pushing plants with fertilizer as much & have less pests & disease due to your advice. Newly bought plants often seem to need to detox from high fertilizer applications from the growers. They really push them in retail!
Happy holiday & remember freedom!
Learn more about gardening today. Thank you Jim putnam.
And that’s why I respect your opinions, spot on for the Houston grow zone. Lantanas... full sun low water needs, excellent for our heat.
Always surprised when gardeners say it's mid summer going into fall on the 1st of July! Thanks for your recommandations.
Anyone asking about poison ivy, my dad always soaked his things in dawn dish soap and water. Then the clothing was washed in vinegar and detergent. He washed everything with dawn dish soap. He was very sensitive to the poison ivy. Didn’t have problems after that.
Dawn seems particularly good at breaking down oils, that's what I use to clean off my equipment and boots after dealing with poison ivy. I just launder the clothes with Miele laundry detergent but that seems to do the trick (I suspect any laundry detergent would do it because they are formulated to break down greasy stains). I also use some heavy duty long black rubber gloves (such as they use in chem labs) after I saw the poison ivy professionals using them (had to get them in to deal with some large patches). You just wash the gloves off in a bucket with some Dawn in it.
As a central Texas gardener I have definitely learned that when a tag says full sun for zone 8b does not mean full TEXAS sun. The sun has killed more plants than I care to admit because our sun is brutal in the summer.
Yes! Central Valley California too. 102 or more for days well into October. I lost a few nice plants because I believed the tag☹ until I figured it out.
Same here. We're also in zone 9 CA. I'd describe it as high desert temps most of the time with strong wind in the early evening. Heat, intense sun, then warm wind, but a cool night. SMH it's an experiment. What's working for you?
Texas 8b here and I'm just now learning this about butterfly bushes. I just don't think they can tolerate our heat and humidity in the full sun. Already lost several.
Yarrow does well and Salvias. They are on a drip system. I have a Russian Sage I am trying out. Fingers crossed.
I have lots of the usual plants , but they get afternoon shade. All are on drip watering.
Your videos can never be too long. Just saying. 🤷🏻♀️
Thank you for the advice you gave for Texas. I live in Galveston County zone 9b and I have felt like I was doing something wrong on some of my plants. It is HOT for sure. Love your channel. Such a wealth of information. Thank you
I'm in Charlotte, and I had Lantana's that were still in their little pots through this past winter and they somehow survived. I didn't protect them either because I honestly didn't think they were going to come back. In June, I was getting ready to throw them out but noticed they were putting out new growth.
Put them out.. I had a similar situation with my quarter gallon lantanas and I planted them in a full sun spot a couple of weeks ago - (Texas 8a). It’s put on a ton of new growth, but it’s also on a drip irrigation timer. I’ve found lantanas are pretty sturdy. Having planting them in soil early/mid fall and they returned after last years record cold snap. Happy gardening!!
@@kelvinthompson2681 They are already planted and blooming
Looking forward to your video about gardening on a slope. I live in the mountians so that would be very helpful. Enjoy your no nonsense approach to gardening.
Always love your weeping redbud in the background. Because of seeing this beautiful tree on your video last year, I bought me a Rising Sun Redbud. I’m loving it. I’m looking at getting a Flame Thrower Redbud. They are so pretty.
Isn’t is lovely? I’ve also added the weeping redbud to my Wishlist.
I just picked up a forest pansy redbud and I’m loving it’s leaves!
I bought a rising sun redbud sapling last year through mail order. It barely survived the winter. One of the few things that I purchased last year that I wish I had spent the extra money to get something a bit bigger and more established. Next spring, I think I will replace the sapling with a more "grown up" rising sun as I won't be in my current house long enough to enough watching the sapling grow up.
@@mavisjones4750 I think mine was 3-4 ft when I ordered mine. It had a few blooms this spring. But the leaves after the blooms have been so beautiful.
@@xandria-themelanatedphoeni2476 I need to look into the Forest Pansy.
@@coopyduck6901 Mine was a stick with a few leaves at the top, about the same height as yours. Due to the initially mild winter, it actually started blooming a bit in late December / early January. Then it got hit with snow / ice storm, etc. It never did bloom this spring. It eventually put out some limbs / leaves right about the graft. Never did do anything further up. I finally checked and the upper part of the stick / trunk was dead. The leaves are pretty but they are all right at ground level.
Always interesting! I am so looking forward to more of your garden tours/talks with experts -- safe travels!
Thank you Jim! Always informative
Happy Fourth of July Jim and family 🇱🇷
thanks Jim for answering the apple cedar rust Q. i agree. i have decided i don't want to be following a constant spraying program to keep my serviceberry limping along. we have a ton of eastern red cedar (you're right, they're technically junipers) in my neighborhood (one neighbor had to plant per D.E.C. and has to keep to obtain their permits to build) so i'm up against a never ending battle. i've come to the very sad decision to remove it. --- thanks and great info as always!!
Jim, I have a question. I got a huge container filled with soil and plants, from someone who was moving. As I was removing some of the sad-looking plants, I discovered a large number of roly-poly bugs in the soil. I've never dealt with roly-polies and I'm wondering if those bugs were why certain plants in that container were dying❓
Stunning background Jim 😃 and Thank You for another excellent Q&A 🥰
The information you provided about spraying poison ivy in the autumn also applies to invasive running bamboo. I read where spraying glyphosate on the bamboo in autumn when it’s “breathing in” offers a more effective killing treatment than when sprayed in other seasons. I will be spraying my running bamboo in my back yard wooded area in about late October. You may want to mention this for viewers in your next Q&A video. I think it may be a growing problem that most people are not aware of.
Also true for Japanese knotweed and wisteria. It helps to weaken them by cutting earlier in the season, but after the final cut spray the stumps.
Jim, I love your channel. I've been watching for a few months now. It's always so informative. I'm in Minnesota, so you have some plants I've never heard of and obviously can't grow, but it's fun to learn about them as well! Thanks for the videos!
Question: could you do a primer on the care of warm season ornamental plants to ensure their vigor year after year? You have frequently advised to cut back in late winter and to NOT transplant these grasses in the fall. Specifically, I have numerous plantings of dwarf pennisetums (Little Bunny, Piglet, Hameln). They are all in full sun, planted in well draining slopes (or well amended with pine bark fines & permatil or crushed granite). I typically cut them back to 2-4” in early March in 7a MD. Usually do not see new growth until May, when it starts to really heat up. The first 2 years, all grew beautifully. By the 3rd year, I frequently see less new growth on some of the plants. This year we had a cool spring and I didn’t see much new growth until June. I determined numerous plants were completely dead, even though a plant nearby was flourishing. The dead plants seem to have root rot. What am I doing wrong? Should I divide partially alive plants and replant immediately in June? Concise instructions are welcomed! I had 8 plants (3-5 years old) completely die this year…ouch. Thank you, Jim.
Thanks for the info on getting rid of poison ivy, Jim! I recently went to a med center for poison ivy and the dr told me to use Tecnu Extreme after I worked around poison ivy. It removes the oils from the ivy. I keep it near my hose and when I'm finished working in my yard, I scrub myself with it. So far, so good!
Technu is good. The best thing for me, so far is dawn dishwashing liquid. Same idea...wash thoroughly after exposure and pat dry. I work as a gardener and seem to be very susceptible to PI, so sometimes will wash my forearms and hands like this 2-3 times in a day. works well for me.
My husband has intense reactions to poison ivy. If exposed, we use Tecnu to wash clothes, tools, door knobs....He even showers using Tecnu. It's been a game changer for us.
Pour boiling hot water over the roots, make sure you use an entire kettle of boiling water. I kill all my vines, weeds etc that I don’t want in my garden.
Love these q&a videos. I particularly enjoy playing the playlist and listening while I do things.
Q: I've got ajuga and Mondo grass underpanting larger hostas. HOA sees 'dirt' in these new garden spots. 🙄 I'm kind of reluctant to put creeping Jenny, so it'll pop in the compost and shut their pieholes . I explained that it's not a mature garden, and hope that will suffice. What other plants could be planted? I've got epimediums, bleeding heart, ferns and astilbe sprinkled throughout that front garden. Everything is under 2 large oaks
I’m in 7a MD. Under our oaks, I successfully grow (your perennial list) plus tiarella, green & gold, lamium, Japanese forest grass, various carex, woodland phlox, bigroot geranium, aralia sun king, pulmonaria, wild ginger, brunnera, and Lenten rose. In the shrub family: leucothoe, dwarf sweet box/sarcoccoa, dwarf Bananappeal illicium, dwarf nandina, kalmia, dwarf skimmia. Added bonus, everything mentioned is very deer resistant for me. Good luck!
@@mdwalker3034 WOW! Thank you!
I've tried lamium. I'm on my third plant now. I really wish I could get it to grow, do you do anything special? The one I have is fading fast, and I was going to pot it up and try to bring it back. I have dry shade on drip irrigation. Maybe it needs more water?
@@juliannetaylor9989 what zone /state are you in? I have two kinds of lamium. Hermann’s Pride (yellow flowers) which spreads slowly in very loamy dry soil in both part & full shade. I rarely water because we receive adequate rainfall. The other kind I have is the maculatum / spotted dead nettle varieties. Several varieties planted in full shade. Soil stays quite damp. They suffer a bit in the hot summer for me too. Something eats on their leaves. I usually cut them back and they reflush when it cools down. Hope this helps!
Wish you would do some full sun tours for zone 9. It's soooo hard to find plants that can survive my full sun yard here in South Louisiana. I don't buy anything that says part sun and am really skeptical of full sun plants that are only rated to a zone 9. The intense heat and lack of rain took its toll this spring/early summer on everything!
I did a good job of protecting myself when I removed my poison ivy. Unfortunately I forgot to throw out my gloves and used the gloves for the next two days. By the second day I was covered. I will not make that mistake again.
How are your Romeo and Juliet Cleyera plants developing? Those are my favorite plants. It took me over 12 months to find them and some online stores ripped me off substituting other Cleyeras. Finally bought a dozen real ones at a nursery and planted them in the last 3 weeks. Of course, it has been no rain, all sun and over 100 degrees every day for a month in Central Texas.
I had a horrible reaction to poison ivy last summer. So bad I needed to go to urgent care and get medication. Not fun to say the least. I sprayed it immediately, I wasn't touching that stuff with a 10 foot pole.
Appreciate your explanation for the Houston area. Since we get rather hot in Slidell, Louisiana, much of it likely applies for us as well. Will think natives for areas that cook.
Hi Jim, we have a japanese maple tree that is about 15 ft tall and very thin. I assume the prior owner never pruned it. Is it possible to prune it back hard to thicken it out?
Regarding poison ivy I’d add that in addition to steps taken in the fall, to also be on the look out in spring and hit them with weed killer before the get going. I have even marked the trees so I know exactly where to look in spring.
Also, treat all skin that may have come in contact with poison ivy with Tecnu, as soon as you can. It’s great if you know you have a bad reaction. Plan A try not to be exposed.
Plan B use a post exposure product like Technu.
Thank you for answering my question and sharing your knowledge and experience.
Great info, as usual, thanks!! Happy Independence Day! 🇺🇸
Perfect TH-cam collaboration would be Jim to visit John from John Lord’s Secret Garden. Think about it if you’re ever in Ireland, Jim! 😉👍
Well I just got poison ivy from watching this video. Now I will have to throw my phone away.
HA!!!
Wao amazing
Uh oh……guilty as charged on the “Full Sun” tagged plants lol.
I just planted 3 / Cast in Bronze Distilyums and 2 Purple Pixie Loropetalums here in Zone 9a Central Florida…Southeast exposure….. I guess time will tell….
Hi Jim can you do a video on how to prune and shape Japanese maples? I have an ukijumo maple that had beautiful form when I bought from nursery three seasons ago, now it’s grown so unruly, I don’t know where to begin to regain its beautiful form.
Gee wiz. You think chipmunks and squirrels are bad.... thank God you don't have armadillos digging everything up. They LOOOOVE that mulch.
I've trapped five armadillos in two weeks. They are worse than wild hogs!
They really ARE bad about digging plants up!
But on the good side-
(& there's always a good side!)
They are digging up grubs & other larvae in the ground which like to munch on my plant roots!
So they really are nature's garden exterminator, and doing us all a favor!
Now if I can only try NOT to be mad at them for tossing my daffodil bulbs into the yard, I'll be ONE with nature & its ways!
The struggle is real...
Rats in your yard! LOL! That's hilarious. I love chipmunks. Not sure why, but I just think they're adorable. I do have a big squirrel problem though. They dig, yes. They bury. They un-bury. LOL! The worst is black walnuts. I find black walnut trees popping up in my landscape all the time because they buy those darned things everywhere. So squirrels and new black walnut trees are a constant battle.
Rats are a fact of life for many. I moved to a PNW suburb and found I had them. Turns out I was providing them with all the comforts of home - sunflower seeds and a birdbath, cover in a patch of ivy growing in the dry shade of conifers, and some vegetables. 🤦🏻♀️ We removed the water and food for a while and trapped one last season and haven’t seen any more signs, so hopefully they’ve moved on. Now it’s just squirrels and bunnies….🤷🏻♀️
I love watching your videos, they're so relaxing and beautiful while being educational. Turning us all into professionals!
I do have a question I hope you can answer as complicated as it might be, or perhaps someone in the comments can help out. I have tried 3 times (before it got too hot) to plant a starter plug Clematis (crystal fountain if it matters) in zone 7a, but every time it will stay alive for a week or so and then dry up and die. I'm not really sure what I'm doing wrong or if clematis is just notoriously hard to establish? I have many other plants I planted this year and all have flourished but the Clematis :(
New gardener observation here. I’ve seen my perennials really look bad the first and sometimes the second year after planting, to the point that I write them off. Then they will reappear and take off. This has happened with multiple types, salvia, clematis, lavender, camellia, gardenia, etc. I didn’t know they would actually appear sick or dead for so long and then look so good. I’m Pacific Northwest 8b. I do not get the kind of sun that you do.
It’s true. First year sleep, 2nd year creep, third year LEAP! In CA.
This is the first time my garden has been invaded by Japanese beetles. So much destruction! The traps are working, but how can I prepare next Spring before they hatch/appear? Thank you.
The question about adding clay to a pot made me want to ask if you could add clay to sandy loam soil. My soil is 44% sand, 39% silt, and 17% clay. I would love to be able to add some clay to increase its moisture retention, especially in the extreme heat/drought that cycles too regularly through north Texas. I've added compost, leaves, and wood chips for many years, but it hasn't helped to hold the moisture in the soil as much as I had hoped. I would have no idea what to buy, how much to use, or how I would incorporate it into to an established bed, or if I should even mess with the soil structure like this at all. Any advice?
I got 2 Gro-Low fragrant sumacs to plant where the poison oak currently grows. They are similar plants so I hope the grow-low does well. Our goats will not eat poison oak until there is nothing else left. Hopefully they won’t touch the Gro-Low fragrant sumac.
We love the squirrels even though they do try to dig up new plantings. However, once they dig under and see that we didn’t bury anything edible underneath the plants they don’t ever bother them again.
Am the opposite, my winter sowing baby breath was destroyed by them ,I try to salvage and replant but they are lifeless, next time I will have to try growing them in a container
Poison ivy: we’ve had good luck killing poison ivy vines that grew in the woods/leaf litter surrounding our home. The poison ivy was popping up all over our perimeter garden beds. In the fall, fill a 5 gallon bucket with 2-3 gallons of water & brush-b-gone concentrate (ratio, according to directions). As best you can, find the the main vine and gather it up. Stick the vine into the bucket. Push the vine down into the concentrate so it’s completely immersed. Leave the bucket with in place for at least 2-3 weeks. The plant will slowly draw the herbicide down into the plant & roots, as it gets ready for winter dormancy. Of course, wear lots of protective clothing, boots & gloves. Immediately, machine wash all clothing in hot water & detergent. Shower immediately with dawn detergent & an old wash cloth…rubbing everywhere.
Tks Jim for sharing all your priceless knowledge in gardening as always!! Can anybody tell me what the plant with the purple stem is right next to Jim on both sides where he is sitting please? 🤔🤷🏻♀️
I absolutely love your videos. Question - when you grow your profusion zinnias, do you start them indoors and how soon do you start yours? I’m zone 3b in Saskatchewan, Canada 🇨🇦.
Do you group three plants together? Or just one profusion plant?
I started mine indoors and I allowed mine to bloom once and then I pinched them to allow them to bush out. Mine seem to be growing slow and do not look anything like yours. I’m also a fairly new gardener.
Anywho yours look beautiful and my goal is to make mine look like yours in the future.
I’ve read that there is more mycorrhizal fungi in a handful of forest dirt than in a whole bag of commercial stuff.
Likely!
Hi. I’m in upstate sc. when should I plant collards etc.. seeds indoors for fall? Thank you.
I have a small viburnum hedge planted last fall and I would like to do everything possible to help it thicken up and grow to its potential height. Would it be best to prune the sides to make it bushier or to prune all over for a thicker plant?
Pollination of Cantelope (Kings Mtn, NC 7b)
Why stamens and pistols are truncated (short) Few fruit sets?
Hello Jim, I have serious leaf rust issues with my panicle hydrangea. Can you please share any treatments that you have for this issue? Thanks
Jim how do you over winter your African Basil in 7b?
I planted an Emperor One Japanese Maple on Mother’s Day this year in my front yard which has lots of sun in afternoon and within the irrigation system. Leaves slowly began to look damaged. After talking to the company I bought it from and showing them the leaves, appears leaves were sun damaged with the irrigation watering and the super hot days. I removed it and put in a container to transplant in fall. Do you think a Flame Thrower redbud will do okay in that spot with the irrigation system?
Hi! I live in Northern Virginia zone 7a and I would like to plant a Mood Ring Podocarpus. Can I risk planting it in a protected spot close to my foundation or should I keep it in a container and bring it in during the winter?
Great video! I look forward to these and learn a lot of nuanced stuff about gardening.
Question: I have been growing Purple Pillar Rose of Sharon in my backyard for about 4 years. It's growing against a 6ft wood fence we had installed. On two occasions now (once a couple years ago and once this year) we've had strong enough winds to completely bend the bush over. It's now tied against the fence to keep it growing upright. So my question is 2 fold; 1) Do you think growing certain plants against a solid fence weakens them since they are not getting sun exposure on one whole side of the plant? and 2) Is there a way I can prune this Rose of Sharon to make it a bit sturdier as it grows in?
I have Monarda that is supposedly powdery mildew resistant however it got hit with it anyway this summer. If I cut it back will it flush new healthy growth and flower again? What is best course of action
I have read to preemptively spray with Neem oil or fungicide. They don’t get rid of it after it happens but can help stall it off. I better do this asap to my mine and my zinnias!
I love the grow-along idea. That would be pretty cool for new gardeners that don’t feel comfortable yet, to have basically a group of gardening buddies(you and your followers) doing the exact same thing to be able to bounce questions or ideas off of. With all the new gardeners out there that would be a great resource for them for sure.
It’s true. First year sleep, 2nd year creep, third year LEAP! In CA.
I agree! I’d definitely love to participate. I’m a newbie gardener.
Jim, I love your Videos! I have a question for you. My front yard tree destroyed my lawns. There are so many roots getting up on the surface. How can I proven it?
Hey Jim, you recommend using wood chips, are you cautious if they're 100% pine?
Also, I grew tithonia this year & one clearly is outperforming all the others... how do I keep it?
What flowering annual could I plant between my blueberry bushes. We have used pine bark mulch and amended the soil with holly tone. Petunia didn’t take…alyssum flopped…. We have strawberries growing between now, but would love some color through the season out there.
Thanks! Love watching your videos.
This may be a stupid question. I have clay soil and very hard water. Through the summer months I have to water my gardens because it seems the rain either goes north or south of us, my garden plants don’t grow very well, I’m thinking it’s the water I’m using, is not conducive to the soil or maybe because it’s clay the minerals are “ locked” in and the plants aren’t able to access it. I’m totally confused. I’m an old fart and can’t put loads of compost on my soil or work it into my soil, am I forever going to have plants that grow poorly. I’ve heard clay is mineral rich so I can’t figure out my problem. Maybe I should know the answer to this but I don’t. I do have quite a few worms in my soil so I think my plants are getting help that way but again I’m at a loss. Maybe the best thing to do is have my soil tested? Okay I’m just rambling now, but if you do have any answers I would thank you kindly! 🌸💚🙃
I don't know if this issue is part of your problem, but what you're describing sounds a lot like what was happening in my yard too.
This is going to be a long comment...
The short story is this:
1.) Chloramines in city water are detrimental to garden soil.
(Well, ANY soil!)
So filtering the garden hose makes a huge difference!
2.) Adding compost & leaves to clay soil makes all the difference in good soil vs. unhealthy soil.
3.) Applying Gypsum to the soil every year also makes a huge difference over time with nutrient uptake for plants.
Here's the long story:
I finally figured out it was the Chloramines my city adds to my water which was keeping my plants from thriving.
More & more cities across our country (USA) have switched to use Chloramines in the water to try and deliver "clean" water to our houses.
Basically - Chloramines are a combination of chlorine and ammonia.
In my opinion,
it's a terrible mix of chemicals.
It doesn't evaporate like chlorine does.
It also doesn't have a half life, which means it just never goes away! So = persistent.
And since my city pumps it into my house, taking a shower with chloramine water also means breathing in the chemicals thru the shower steam! Many people never notice any effects from this.
However, I am one of those who - over time - became very sensitive to it, and ended up getting VERY sick from all the chloramines in my water.
I did use a refrigerator filter for my drinking and cooking water, but after I figured out I was getting sick from the chloramines, I found out that a little refrigerator filter does nothing to filter out chloramines.
A special type of filter is needed.
But that's a whole other story!
I only mention it just in case you're consuming chloramines like I was, and my soil & plants were too.
It's job is to kill bacteria in the water.
It DOES do its job very well-
a little too well for soil health...
As we all know, soil needs its good bacteria, all the mycorrhiza activity, etc to be healthy and balanced soil which plants can thrive in.
When Chloramines are poured into the soil with a water hose, the chloramines kill the good bacteria.
Luckily, soil can regenerate the good bacteria, but that does take a good while. I believe my soil was trying to rebuild the good bacteria, and then here I come with another dose of chloramine water to set it back again.
It was a Two steps forward, Three steps back kind of situation for my soil!
The plants no longer thrived, they got weak, and just looked pitiful all the time.
(Actually, that's what happens to people too!)
Most new plants never made it through our mild Winters.
Perennial plants were no longer perennial in my yard.
When I started researching filters for Chloramines, I found a filter I could screw on to my water hose!
It's the best thing I've done for my garden in years!!
Now my plants are looking good again! The soil is able to rebuild, and STAY healthy with the clean water!
The 2nd thing I did was use mushroom blocks to help generate more mycelium and mycorrhizal activity in my soil.
A Mushroom Block is a compressed block of organic substrate, about the size of one gallon, and these blocks are used to grow edible mushrooms commercially.
When the grower is finished growing with that block, they simply discard them.
These blocks have several benefits for great soil health!
▪︎They are loaded with mushroom mycelium.
▪︎The substrate used makes fantastic mulch.
▪︎The block is extremely compostable, so adding it to your soil is exactly the same as adding compost, and upon arrival it's already started to break down.
▪︎Mushroom Mycelium (the "roots" of the mushroom) are also the perfect vehicle to remediate tainted soil, and will not do any harm to any soil or plants.
Just the opposite actually!!
I highly recommend it!!
Talking about clay soil real quick-
Yes, clay soil holds tons of nutrients.
However, those nutrients are not always bioavailable to plants. So plants growing in clay do not always benefit from those nutients.
The clay needs a bit of help from organic matter to release those nutrients.
Two things to add will make all the difference in this respect-
1.) Compost
(the mushroom blocks ARE compost)
2.) And Gypsum
Gypsum is a very slow acting material that is all natural from the earth. Over time it breaks down the clay and helps unlock those nutrients making them available plants.
If you've got a lot of clay, adding Gypsum to your soil every year will definitely make a difference. It won't make a difference you can see right away though.
It takes something like 3 to 5 years to make a difference (depending on your conditions) but definitely one of those gardening practices that is worth doing.
Meanwhile, adding compost, even if it's just used as a top dressing, is the best thing you can do for great soil health.
I have big trees which drop A LOT of leaves. I vacuum up those leaves with a leaf blower, and it mulches those leaves into tiny pieces.
I then mix the leaves into the soil every chance I get, as well as top dress my garden beds with them. It's free mulch!
They work great to keep the moisture from evaporating too fast, helps keep weeds from sprouting, and keeps the soil cool in Summer, and warm in Winter!
And when the leaves finally do break down (that takes a while too) they make a wonderful humus in the soil, which is something clay soil is lacking.
I've found it's the very best thing for my clay soil.
I know this has been a long comment, so Thanks to anyone who made it all the way through!!
I hope it can help anyone with chloramine in their city water, it really is a terrible thing to add to any garden.
I wish more people would talk about it too. Had I known about how hazardous it is a long time ago, I could have saved my health from going through some very bad times.
At any rate, I hope this info has helped. 🌱 💚 🌱
Even if you just buy many bags of compost and spread them on top it will help. It will decompose and sink into the soil over a few years.the worms will do it for you.
Question: The previous owner of my property planted a number of prostrate, ground cover-type evergreens. I don't know the exact cultivars but one looks like blue rug juniper. In any event, they have spread to be quite extensive and I would like to do something else with the spaces they are occupying. I could just pull them out but could possibly use them elsewhere on the property. Is it possible to move them? If so, how and when would you recommend doing that? Can they be cut back? Thanks.
Hi Jim, do you do consultations for zone 9b, So Cal?
I would love to get an orange rocket barberry here in NY - but they won’t sell , or ship it here. If this kind of barberry is sterile & noninvasive, why can’t they at least sell this one ?
I live in 9b zone. I have a 40 year old magnolia tree that has roots coming up out of the soil. How can I stop this or cover it correctly?
I purchased a dwarf butterfly bush, and when I removed it from the container, it had hardly any roots, except the big roots right at the base of the plant. Basically it wasn't rooted into the container at all. I pruned off all the blooms/buds, watered it in well and mulched it. But it looks terrible --dry leaves and wilting. (Ordered this from Proven Winners, so it had already been beat up a bit on it's journey.) I'm just wondering if I should expect new growth at some point? How long should I wait, if I need to replace it?
Contact Proven Winners ASAP with your problem. They may replace/refund. I know other companies do this without a question. Good luck, PW is expensive.
🍃🌳GREAT INFO. HAPPY 4th🎊‼️🌳🍃
Thank you for this video it was very helpful! I have a question….I am harvesting garlic right now and I was wondering if it’s too late to plant fennel where the garlic was? I live in Western North Carolina.
Love watching your Q&A videos each Sunday! I have a question about my strawberry sundae hydrangea I planted this spring. It is absolutely full of flowers right now but I’m having a hard time with the stems flopping over due to the weight of the panicles. Can you stake up hydrangeas? And is this going to be something I’m going to have to constantly deal with? Is there something I can do this winter when I prune it that would help strengthen the stems? Thanks so much!
Hey Jim - I got a golden falls redbud for my first Father’s Day ❤️. Haven’t planted it yet since it’s been so hot and dry in 8a. How much sun is yours getting in that spot?
I have 3 perennial salvia and they are small and don't hardly bloom. What should I do? They've been in the ground for 3 seasons
Hi Jim!
My Golden Falls Redbud has holes/notches all throughout its leaves. I noticed it about 3 weeks ago but thought it may be from cutter bees (not that I’ve seen any, but google says they are the cause of said holes lol). What do you think? Any cause for alarm? I live in alabama zone 8b, and planted the tree 2 months ago. I took a picture of the leaves but I’m not sure the best way to send it to you. Thank you!
People are funny, "you have rats". I know chipmunks are a pain but they are adorable and not rats!
Is that a sweet potato vine behind you? What is it growing on?
Since Raleigh is called as City of Oaks, how you deal with those little tiny seedling on spring/summer. They are all popping in my garden bed and I am trying to think how to catch all the acorn in fall from my neighbor oak tree.
We have big oaks in our yard and I go out a few times a week to scan the ground and pull them out. 👍 There are hundreds of them over the spring & early summer, but just a handful or two every day that I go out.
Re: impatiens turning white… I have some Sunpatiens that developed white spots on the flowers after using a sprinkler to water them. Could there be enough chlorine in my municipal water to cause that? I have not observed the problem with any other flowers.
I've seen white spots on some leaves if they have water droplets when the sun is full strength. The water functions like a magnifying glass and heats the area of the leaves under the water drops and bleaches it white. It may affect some kinds of plants more than others. Mine were annual geraniums that I would think have thick enough leaves not to be so sensitive.
❓Leaf Scorch. I’m in 7a. OK.
We had a Fireglow Japanese Maple installed in early April. It’s abt 5-6 ft tall. Several leaves have scorched. Is there anything we need to do? Will the tree recover or will this be an ongoing issue? Tree gets abt 5-6 hrs of early to midday sun each day. Shaded by house the rest of day.
Thank you so much! Great video as always, Jim!
What is your coffee of choice?
Heh, heh, I’m curious too now that you mention it. Damn, I wish I was a big healthy guy like Jim. Instead I’m a small sickly woman which makes gardening more difficult. But I’m passionate. Keeps me moving.
Dei would love a grow a long
I have high PH soil. I’ve planted some Hollie’s in my garden, I use espoma holly tone, I was wondering if it’s possible to use too much holly tone on them ?🌸💚🙃
Well of course. Read the directions on the bag.
I believe all the “tones” (Hollytone, Plantone, Rosetone, Biotone , etc.) from the Espoma company are safe compared to others. The “tones” are more like natural manure and won’t damage the plants. Did you notice how it smells? That’s because they use animal products not chemicals. The “tones” enhance the soil over time. The other products that give numbers (NPK) like 10-10-10, etc. are chemicals. These will damage (burn roots,…) if used too much. I use the “tones” on perennials, shrubs, etc. I CAREFULLY use chemicals like Miracle Grow and Osmocote on annuals. The chemicals are not good for the soil so I use sparingly. Too much “tones” will only damage your wallet but not the plant/soil.
For 20:00, couldn’t you just purchase a rust resistant crabapple /apple tree?
Yes, but we are talking about removing old ones or not
🙋
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Are elections rigged?