Planning the Garden for Aging, Hard Pruning Plants, Crape Myrtle Scale – Garden Questions Answered – In this video I answer gardening questions that were asked in last week’s garden question and answer video.
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48 Comments
We have an exciting announcement for Tuesday's video! Thank you to everyone for following along!
I am in zone 7 Virginia. I need to place fast growing evergreen shrubs under several mature oak trees for a screen. What do you suggest that is readily available? Thanks😊
Jim, I ran by Lowes the other day and had to go by and look at the clearance plants and they were frozen solid (dusty miller and canna). Would they have survived if I let them thaw out. Athens 8a
I love those Mangrove trees in the background, I took an eco tour on Sanibel island several years ago and was amazed at what wildlife that lives in those trees and what they add to the environment ❤
Thank you for this video. We were away for 2 1/2 weeks during the sustained deep freeze here in NJ. We moved our unplanted juniper, rhododendron, and inkberry into our approximately 50 degree basement next to our grow light racks. Now that we are looking at some temperature moderation, how much hardening might we be looking at? Moving them up from the basement is not the easiest chore!
Hi Jim, here is a gardening/life question that I asked a few weeks ago, and I'm hoping you will think about and give your opinion or experience. I'm 45 and have been gardening for a couple decades and for this period of time I have been a younger guy. I'm curious how aging and gardening has effected you or changed the way you think about plants or planting things that may take a decade or more to mature? Does your approach and planning stay the same regardless of age? You can answer based on your own experience or things you have heard from other people. Thanks so much for your time!
Q – Will a plant outgrow deer browsing or can it be placed somewhere deer are less likely to come? Would companion plants like salvia or allium help at all? I have 2 Indian Hawthorns (I think Eleanor Tabor) that are by my front porch and struggling for 5 years or so. I put bird netting over, which maybe helps some, but wondering if maybe I could move them? Also a brand new last fall Podocarpus "Emerald Flame" about 2-3' was eaten, put some chicken wire around, but that can't be a permanent solution! Same with Carex "Feather Falls" which might have been rabbits not deer. (I'm Greensboro)
Fascinating to learn about plants filtering out salt.
Would love something on aging gardeners!! I'm shopping for a stool for weeding right now!
Just want to say what a great job with camera and editing you and Stef do on all the videos.
What's going on with the new space(s)?
At 80 years old with severe arthritis, metal knees, ceramic hip and spinal cord implant my passion for gardening could be severely curtailed. However, I have found some amazing battery-powered tools that make so much possible again. I can no longer use those long-handled pruners you use all the time but I will bet I can beat you with my Tovias!!! Pruners, hedgers, chain saws and mowers along with a shelf dedicated to chargers and I am independent!
Hi Jim! I’d like to move several plants that have been in the ground for 2-4 years (possibly longer). Fatsia, hydrangeas (both macrophylla and paniculata), lantana, Shasta viburnum, and gardenias. Zone 8A (Woodstock, ga). Should I root prune ALL of them and wait until late winter/early spring, or just those that are not deciduous? Thanks!
Will centipede do well in our area too? Where you live (and I) near Raleigh Nc. Someone told me it won’t do well here. I am looking for grass that doesn’t require spraying. I have Bermuda now and I hate it. It takes over my garden beds.
@9:58 Noo! 10 minutes per answer sounds great lol. I could listen all day. You’re a wealth of knowledge. Also, how do you guys feel about/deal with leaving a garden behind? I have put a lot of work into creating my garden and love it but I’m considering moving and not sure how to feel about it.
For the person that had trouble with their seed starting mix taking up water, I used to have the same problem. I use the Jiffy organic seed starting mix. I will put all the soil into a shallow plastic bin and slowly add some water and work it in with my hands until it's moist. Then I will fill my seed trays with the moistened soil and add my seeds. Once the soil has been initially wet like this, I'm able to bottom water with success. 😊🌱
Can you (or do you have) a video comparing different grasses? I'd rather have a low growing grass that doesn't require a lot of mowing throughout the year, but I'm not sure the pros and cons of grasses other than Bermuda. Thanks in advance!
Thanks, Jim and Steph. For anyone who’s interested in planning for aging in place…I somewhat planned my garden for my aging as well as the aging of our current tree canopy. When we decided to put in beds, I made navigable paths then put in small trees that will eventually take over when our canopy ages out. All of my other plants went in spaced a bit out from the trees. Also, I figure when I can no longer maintain the beds, I will have a beautiful tree canopy to wander under because the paths are already in place. We are in NE florida zone 9bish, so shade is VERY important to us. I hope that makes sense. Safe travels.
I have a Weigela ‘French Lace’ that got eaten back by rabbits, are they going to bloom on new wood or old wood? (And my YUCCAS 🤬) Also curious if you would use hollow points or full metal jackets… 😂
With organic fertilizer, I have chosen a happy medium. I scatter the fertilizer on top of the mulch, then lightly scratch it into the mulch without removing it to the soil line. Helps minimize fertilizer washing out in a big storm, but it doesn't increase weeds popping up. Adding the fertilizer before topping off with fresh mulch also works for us.
Do you anticipate a presence on the bluesky app?
❤️❓
Hi, zone 9 Ireland here👋 I planted a 5 ft root balled chamaecyparis columnar is glauca in late October which was then hoisted right out of the ground in a heavy storm about a month later. It came out with its full rootball intact and within hours I managed to ge it into a large pot until it was safe to get it back into the ground a few days later. I decided to stake it until it (hopefully) re-establishes itself.
My question is, how likely is the tree to recover, and are there any signs to look out for that will tell me if it’s getting better or worse? How long do trees take to get over uprooting like this? It’s a really beautiful bushy specimen and I’d hate to lose it.😔 thank you!
Hi Jim, I understand why you don’t respond to “why did my plant die question?”. New Question… How can I tell if I am underwatering or overwatering my balsam/Frasier fir trees? I have 20 trees in Connecticut (zone 6). I have read if the needles are turning brown on the inside of the tree its overwatered, and if they die on the tips they are underwatered – is this true? Also, have you ever seen the tips of the fir tree turn black? Any help would be appreciated.
This question is for Jim or anyone who has used pine fines. Where can I find pine fines in Connecticut/Massachusetts/Rhode Island. I have looked locally and the online retailers I have found do not ship to my home. I live in Eastern Connecticut where there is red and gray clay as far as my shovel will go 😁. Thanks!
You mentioned Frost Proof Gardenia. It’s because of you I have three. And man oh man, what great shrubs! They never disappoint here in southeastern Va. zone 8A. THANK YOU HortTube man 🌳🌳🌳🐕
Would you please either do a video on industrial plants or make a playlist of industrial plant videos? Thanks!
Hi, Jim and Steph! How do you handle snakes in the garden? We live in the city but have still seen snakes in our yard. Neighbors have had copperheads in their yards. I love lush gardening with flowers and shrubs, but I’m terrified of snakes. Is it wise to shake flowers and shrubs with a long stick before gardening around them? Does anything keep them out of a yard? Thanks!
I’d love more content on how to be thinking about plants and design as we age. My gardening ‘brain’ seems to be about 40, but my body is 75. My enthusiasm already exceeds my stamina. While I see it as great exercise, I’m facing limitations which will only increase. Thanks!
Dang! I thought, by the title, that there was advice for aging gardeners! lol
Hi, I have 3 large deciduous holly sparkle berry which I pruned hard last year. Last summer they grew water sprouts. Can I hard prune again this year as they are still too large, or should I wait another year and just remove the water sprouts? Thanks!
How to prune quart-sized shrubs? I purposely buy small shrubs for cost containment, but struggle to know how they should be pruned as they get bigger e.g. Double Play Doozie Spirea.
In the Weekly Garden Planner, we would LOVE to have specific pruning lists for appropriate times to prune!! I'm always googling info like that. NC Sandhills z 8a
Jim so here in Alabama outside Huntsville my fatsia My tea olive looks good silver doller eucalyptus just some minor leaf burn all the camellias are good minor few leaves burned other stuff dormant I’ll wait on amaryllis and Lilly of the Nile they melted and 2 out of 5 encore azaleas look dead as well as my pussy willow we hit teens and one night of 6 and 3 days of below freezing so it will be interesting on who returnes
I love my Sundays with Jim & Steph! 😊 Thank you for reminding me to prune blueberries. And, ahhh that temp range you mentioned between 50° and 80° sounds heavenly for a gardener. LOL (but I'm a snow-lover, so winter weather is fine with me.) 8a / west TN. 🌱
Do you have any recommendations on what to look for in a home power washing company that won’t hurt my plants / soil. For example, our most recent company used what smelled like bleach in their system, and I can’t imagine that is great for our soil quality.
We are looking to have our siding cleaned.
Hi Jim, I’ve been fighting Bermuda grass for 5 years and have reluctantly decided to carefully spray it to eliminate it. What do you think the most effective spray would be to use? I’m in zone 7a in northeast Tennessee. I’m desperate so thank you for your answer.
Hi Jim, I am wondering if a Marvel Mahonia would survive in my zone 8b brutally hot Dallas TX area if it was in partial shade in summer but sunnier in winter? It would be shaded by my oak tree so in the winter it would be pretty sunny location. Thanks for all you guys do! 😊
I’m in Central Arkansas, zone 7b/8a. For the past 2 yrs, grasshoppers have been my biggest pest eating on my annuals & perennials. They are tan in color, grow huge (2.5”+) and seem to be taking over. Any advice to get rid of them? TIA. I enjoy watching your videos!
What would you recommend for underplanting Japanese maples in pots? Zone 7B here! Thanks!
Would love a video about “aging”gardening! Gardening is such a wonderful activity for mental and physical health, but physical limitations can be frustrating! Would love to hear your thoughts on it!
To all who need ideas for gardening +aging, Kerry Ann Mendez' book "The Right Size Flower Garden" is a helpful resource. Maybe Jim could interview her!
Virginia Tech has a great pruning calendar for shrubs and small trees.
I found the patent info very interesting.
We have an aged dogwood in a sunny area, ATL 8a, that is underplanted with overgrown azaleas. If we cut down the azaleas, would mulch be enough to keep the roots safe?
Looking for plant recommendations. I have a hill behind my house that was recently cleared of pine trees. It is very steep, so maintenance is an issue. What plants would you use to prevent erosion and that don’t look terrible with a few weeds growing with them? This is my view from my back porch, but impossible to keep weeds out by hand. My neighbors use junipers, but they look bad when weeds start to overtake them. Zone 8a Atlanta.
Jim thanks for sharing your expertise. For your new space, how will determine which native species (or cvs) to include? Specifically what will be your definition of native. Will you include those that are native to NC, or to SE US, or eastern NA, or to anywhere in the US? I think some can be quite specific in their definitions of what it means to grow 'native' plants so I was curious.
I have one more question related to grass, since Jim is an expert it would be great to know, when is the best time to install zoysia or centipede in our area Raleigh Nc? And which one is better for our area? I do have some half sun half shade areas. Is zoysia only available as sod?
So cool to see you there by Blimp Road! I was kayaking there 2 weeks ago from that spot.
What is the best suggestion for controlling invasive nutsedge grass that has crept in to my vegetable and flower garden?
How do you select plants for spaces that get very different amounts of sun seasonally? We're near Raleigh and have a few spaces that get cooked in all day sun in the summer but get very little sun the rest of the year due to tall neighboring trees or our house.
How have your agave(s) been holding up after the cold/wet weather? Our hybrid so far has been doing fine, just has some minor damage. Thanks!