Really Great Garden Questions this Week - Mosquitos, New Plants, Deer, Invasive Natives?

[@mavisjones4750]

My Sunday's are not complete until I've watched the Q&A video!

[@zukosmom3780]

My mouth fell open when I saw that Lego piece. That's adorable 🥰

[@joannethompson9084]

Tshirt idea……. “Lots of words….” Love when you say this!

[@Checkthefineprint]

Perfect start for a Sunday.

[@pharesk7508]

I can attest to the number of bees in Jim’s yard. I was amazed during the garden open house. I’m surprised he isn’t stung multiple times while he’s working in his yard. But to be fair the bees were so busy with the flowers no one was stung while I was there. The garden is even more beautiful in person. :)

[@Meraxeshandler]

The number of times the invasive vs aggresive arguement has started knock out fights native plant groups on fb groups is insane. Everytime you get a wave of new members you know its about to go down 😂

[@sunitashastry5270]

Yes. And the number of folks who are surprised at the spread of the native. - and not thinking that all that compost, mulch water etc etc they are providing to plants that grow wild in the ditches - well it’s like living a luxurious life - so of course they proliferate!

[@debandrews7415]

Love your Q and A videos

[@kristibrooks967]

Gave my 9yr old neighbor girl the Lego Sunflower set for her birthday this summer. Huge hit! 🌻 🌻 🌻

[@aalejardin]

I feel for Steph as I am the mosquito magnet in the family. They will get me through a tee shirt or any other fabric unless it is thick, so I understand the sweatpants. I have to cover myself with Off during heavy infestations. Fortunately it seems that with all the flowering plants I have put in the garden we are getting the whole spectrum of the creatures that cause us problems and the creatures that eat them: with the midsummer upsurge of insects, particularly dragonflies, the mosquitos have greatly diminished. The birds are helping too. BTW I saw a large white fly infestation on my bush beans the other day. Took the Jim and Steph approach and waited to see whether something would take care of them. I don't know what did it, but there are very few of them today. Now if something would please eat the cabbage butterlies....

[@catherinegarrigan6075]

Love your Q and A. I planted some Bronze Torch seeds this year at your suggestion. My first harvest should be in the next week! You know you’ve truly made it when a child creates you in LEGO. ❤

[@marionallen2222]

Listening every Sunday while I do house chores LOL!!! 🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍🪴🪴🪴🪴🪴🪴🤍🤍🤍🤍🪴🪴🪴

[@jordanyeager9220]

Same ❤

[@Roll_Fam]

One of the lessons I’m most grateful that I’ve learned from you is that the garden doesn’t have to be perfect. It’s ok to have some bugs, it’s ok to have plants that aren’t perfect. My favorite flowerbed is the messiest. It’s full of flowers and pollinators and some bugs too! It’s beautiful! Thank you for all you do and the knowledge you share!

[@terriebutler6737]

I use those little red pruners you got there, like crazy. Luv em ! Also, luv that little frog you got there looking at you 💚 THANK YOU HortTube man 🌳🌳🌳🐕

[@8helenjhouston8]

The Weekly Garden Planner is HUGELY helpful!!! I follow it week by week!

[@heathercole2447]

Cracking up over the mosquito repellant! 🤪

[@dianegentry3255]

Steph, I feel your pain. I’m a mosquito magnet too! So annoying.

[@vernellevale2226]

Jim, I love your Q&A videos! They are so beneficial in helping many of us with struggles in our gardens. My knowledge is that overwatering shows up as yellow leaves on the bottom of the plant since the plant is trying to push up more water than normal due to the excess of it. And just the opposite, yellowing leaves on the top of the plant is due to under-watering as the plant doesn’t have enough water to push up to the top new leaves. Is this knowledge wrong / incorrect? Thanks again!

[@jackiefields1607]

Such a wealth of knowledge in such a pleasant format!

[@myredrose45]

Good morning Jim, Thank you so very much for your help with teaching us and love your Q&A with my morning cup of coffee.

[@rima717nc]

I can relate to Steph's problem with mosquitos! All summer I wear a long sleeve shirt, long pants, and a hat when I work outside to help me avoid mosquito bites and sunburn.

[@freedomofreligion3248]

I took a screen-shot of her perfect Lego creation. I'm printing it as an enlargement, going to frame it & hang it in a prominent spot in my home!! A PERFECT creation. Dear Young Lady: Hort Tube with Jim Putnam, Garden Videos, including the Sunday Q & A, is my favorite video content to watch, learn from, take notes of, & SCREEN SHOOT. And, I have always LOVED miniature things. You did a beautiful job with BOTH. Thank you! Thx, Jim & Steph, for photographing it for us to enjoy.

[@slane_design]

love the Lego creation!!!

[@nancylefevre4113]

My native wisteria is super aggressive. It is on an arbor leading to the vegetable garden. It sends out runners along the ground and underground that come up everywhere, including in the raised beds. Every couple of years I cut it to a foot from the ground and it rebounds in one season. It is a constant maintenance problem---never again!

[@charlesoberdorf8478]

Donna here, same! We inherited my parents property and mom planted wisteria in several places (in 4 acres). We've been here 6 years and I'm still pulling out runners and roots where I can. I also watch a channel called the Old Byrd Farm where the place was absolutely taken over, killing trees all over the property. Its satisfying to watch him reclaim the land and fix the old (140 years) farm house.

[@angelacross2216]

Same habit with trumpet vine.

[@terrivance8750]

Jim, Had to laugh. Growing up, my mother was my mosquito repellent. Now, it seems, I'm everyone else's. 😆

[@fennerpirie]

In this Q & A you mentioned that you might start including info from a zone 5 gardner. I live in a zone 5 b and garden on 2.3 acres. The BEST gardening utube videos are coming from Erin at The Impatient Gardener. I heard her recommend your channel and have been enjoying your videos as well. So I'm hoping that you may have been referring to her. Your content is always spot on but . . . you do ramble and repeat. Still always worth a thumbs up but I do get some dusting done while watching your videos.

[@jenn10orless]

Well I guess you wanted engagement! No snakes in the ITB. 😂😂 I must just be lucky because we have a ton of copperheads and rabbits.

[@ramgiberson7180]

Hello, happy gardening 😅.

[@burntorangehorn]

A landscaper put in about a dozen oakleaf hydrangeas in my parents' backyard, and every one was repeatedly eaten to the ground by deer until they stopped coming back at all. That's why we now have a tall fence that keeps out all but the most desperate deer.

[@deedeewohler3726]

Thank you for your show! Several years ago I started gardening (for humans); then from your show I learned about succession planting. Finally I learned about also planting for pollinators, not just for human enjoyment. Thank you for all you both do!

[@stephaniesharkey3538]

If u watch Garden World , a BBC Monty Don weekly garden show at the end they have a “ garden chores for this weekend” bit that you adjust for whatever area you r in! FYI

[@jordanyeager9220]

Love gardener's world ❤

[@lauriereinhardt-plotnik7254]

Greetings from an 8a RTP neighbor! I recently planted several types of coneflower. The newer, "bioengineered" types do not seem to attract the bumblebees the way the natural types do. Is this a random observation or is there some real science behind this Txs!🎉

[@judymckerrow6720]

I ABSOLUTELY HATE snakes ! Even though I hate them I have at least two in the garden that make their presence known, they can stay as long as they keep their distance. I have waking nightmares about accidentally stepping on one and it wraps itself around my ankle 😱 so my eyes are alway peeled looking for them 😱 another worry is me putting my hand in to do some weeding and touching one 😱 I normally don’t wear gloves to weed but if it’s in an extra weedy area gloves will go on. I never use to be SO nervous about them but as I grow older my fear has become more intense. ?? 🌺💚🙃 I just thought to add none of my resident snakes are poisonous 🌺💚🙃 BUT STILL 😱🌺💚🙃

[@HandcraftedintheFoothills]

Snakes have been bad this year in my garden and in TN we have poisonous ones...one of which has been in my flower beds😫 scared me bad I've hardly been out in the garden...next year I'm making the beds bigger so I can spread plants out in order to be able to SEE the snakes...I have my garden.beds like Jim all plants close together but because of snakes I'm redoing everything

[@ivettesantana4319]

Love your bowl of toms!

[@PatriciaNanAnderson]

Yes. Things besides us have a right to live.

[@tg_ny]

Pieris japonica (andromeda) seems to really attract bumblebees, and those bushes get large. They also seem to love clover.

[@ginagcchandler6965]

QUESTION: After watching you trim the evergreen dogwood, I realized I might be holding my bypass pruners upside down. Is there a best/correct direction to use them?

[@stephaniesharkey3538]

I just listened to a talk that Roy Diblik gave and he could b your mentor for “ soil& garden” POV! It was wonderful!

[@onething247]

Great answer about accommodating the bumblebees. My favorite here in 7b is agastache. They are covered with bees and they bloom all summer.

[@Debbie-ni8bc]

Propagation question: I propagated a few pannicle hydrangeas last summer. One of them only put out one stem at the bottom so I decided to experiment with growing it into a tree. Last fall I put it in a one gallon pot and used strips of an old t-shirt to tie the stem to a 3 ft long stake. It is now almost 3 ft. tall. I have continued to tie it to the stake to keep it straight. It is still a single stem and I keep all but the top few leaves pulled off. At what point should I cut it off so it will start branching (3, then 9, etc just as you did in your video a while back)? After I cut it, I know the trunk will continue to thicken, but I’m not clear on if it will grow taller. Thanks so much for sharing all your plant knowledge with us!

[@nadia_rem8511]

Someone dumped (unless it was there from land before time), a bunch of oyster shells along the fence line border. Been a joy digging in that. Heard you mention slated shell. Figure you meant like oyster shells. We hadnt had rain for a month (7b MD), and so the grass turned brown. We have a mix of species as our lawn. I noticed the main thing that stayed green during the drought: clover What do you think of the clover lawn trend? The mosquitos can be a real buzzkill but my method is: loose baggy thin clothes, neck fan on medium (keeps em outta face area), thermacell mosquito repellant (heats up citronella pad - short radius). Also large bowls of water in every bed with pond plants for dragonfly lure (add BT to kill larvae).

[@jordanyeager9220]

Any plans to reinstall a water feature?

[@judymckerrow6720]

Thank you Jim. 🌺💚🙃

[@erincolleen7436]

Thanks Jim and Steph!

[@judymckerrow6720]

Thank you for answering the question about hacking back much over grown boxwoods ! A spring project for sure ! 🌺💚🙃

[@karlaplatt5538]

I react pretty significantly to bug bites. I've found that Shu Bug Active Insect Repellent is amazing and a game changer.

[@squidikka]

Never heard of the bronze torch tomato, will have to look into it. As far as I was aware, the best cherry was the sungold.

[@NonnieTD]

I planted 2 White Wedding hydrangeas spring of 2023 and they were beautiful last summer. I pruned them lightly last February and I fertilized them with Rose Tone last March. I now have beautiful blooms but only the center stem is upright. The rest of the blooms are practically on the ground. What can I do to make stronger stems for next year? Thank you so much!!

[@BloomCatBloom]

I love finding what the bees love! I am tracking them in photos to make sure I keep something for them throughout the year. Right now, the vitex, zinnia, and hollyhock are the big draws!

[@frankpoole4306]

Give Salvia a try. I have them all over it

[@BloomCatBloom]

@@frankpoole4306 I have some big patches of Salvia, along with some individuals dotted around. It's definitely a bee pleaser!

[@RedCoin91]

Thanks a lot for your answer about the bindweed. I guess I will be ripping it out for the rest of my life then 😅 Digging it out is impossible and it is coming from behind a fence too. Have a nice sunday!

[@douggreene4458]

Bronze Torch looks like a variety that would be difficult to use in a sandwich, one of the pure pleasures of summer.

[@nolanholmberg311]

Hey Jim and Steph! Hope you're enjoying this week of rain we've been getting! I have a question about my Snapdragons (chapel hill area 8A) Planted them back in October last year, fully grown now. 4 feet tall and what you would consider "burnt out" foliage still looks good but the new blooms coming out are sparse and small. I want to know the risks of cutting them back to the ground in preparation for the fall when hopefully they'd flush back out when the weather cools down. Want to know the risks of doing this. I don't want to accidently kill them by exposing their roots to the heat and sun which they were previously not exposed to. They are in full sun from 9AM until 5-6PM at night so that's my main stress that if I cut them back, the stress of their roots not being exposed to the sun and the heat would cook them like it cooked my pansy's back in June. Thanks in advance ya'll I love starting my Sunday morning's with the Q&A's!

[@valerieenlow6282]

This is the first full year with my Limelight Hydrangeas. I’m having a little trouble with the blossoms drooping down onto other plants. Did I prune them incorrectly? Should they not be pruned at all? Or is that just life with Limelight Hydrangeas? I’m in Zone 8b. Thanks!

[@GardenKath]

Seedling dahlias are BY FAR the bumblebees’ favorite in my yard. Nepeta is a close second.

[@aptkeyboard3173]

@10:32 There are some growers that are approved to ship boxwoods to states like Tennessee with boxwood blight import bans. InstantHedge participates in the Oregon Boxwood Blight Cleanliness Program which allows them to ship them to TN etc. Hopefully the growers of Better Boxwoods will do something similar so we can have them in Tennessee.

[@patsweeney1771]

What’s are the pros and cons of using “Preen” type products ? Any difference based on a pollinator garden versus traditional landscaping ? Zone 8A Georgia

[@Mary-d7u8l]

Each week I learn so much helpful gardening information. Thank you for another great question and answer.

[@LULC0759]

Glad to see a Q answered about a broke branch damage. I took an Eastern Redbud seedling from my late parents yard in 2021 and then transplanted it into the acreage where we built a house. It grew immensely in those three years and had a beautiful shape. Last week I noticed a major branch on the lower part of the trunk just snapped partially off. I had to prune it off the rest of the way and I just hope it doesn’t weaken the tree on that lower trunk. Those redbuds grow in a vase shape so it has this short little trunk & the rest branch off it…now it’s missing one of those branches.

[@charlesoberdorf8478]

Donna here, I cut down a redbud because it was slowly dying.Before I did that I took off a major branch that was dead. It lasted another 2 years. That was 3 years ago and I get seedlings on the regular from, I guess the roots? I really like them so trying to grow them out this year. Good luck with yous!

[@jordanyeager9220]

Zone 8a Milton Florida. Got my Color Blends catalog today. What are some of your plant orders? Still planning on species tulips? Is bee balm as invasive as mint in the ground?

[@debsm56]

I have a clematis that I need to move/transplant. I’m in NC zone 7b/8a. What time of year is the best time to do it? I watch the Q&A every week and really enjoy your information and advice. Thanks 💚🌸🍃

[@bc9615]

Question for you: I am in Durham and came to your open garden. I spoke with Steph about my Autumn Embers Encore azaleas and showed her a picture of mine planted in full sun with good watering. These were planted a year ago April. The leaves started bleaching out last August so I tested the soil and the average PH is 5-6, so in February I added ironite to the soil around them and they perked up ever so slightly. In April or early May I added more ironite and again the new leaves came out a little darker, but not much. The picture I shared with Steph was taken the week of your open garden. This row of 14 azaleas in front of my house is in full sun from 10-6 and when I showed Steph the picture she said they were scalded. I have since transplanted some of them to a less sunny spot, but with all of that said, realistically how much sun can Encore azaleas take? The tags say full sun, but that obviously is not correct. I have now noticed that one of the Autumn Sangria in another equally sunny location is starting to show burnt leaves as well (I'm sure our extremely hot weather didn't help with that). Any information you can provide will be appreciated! Thank you and keep up the good work!

[@vbachman6742]

Full sun in my zone 8b is morning sun up to about 4-5 hours even for encore azaleas. I've tried them in midday sun and it does scald them.

[@valhallamcgaughey3720]

Your area might be different, but here in Texas there’s a huge difference between full sun in the am and 6 hours of afternoon sun. I think the sheer heat is the biggest factor. The plant tags don’t take that into consideration. (Even the plant zones don’t take heat into consideration, just minimum temps.)

[@JennJenn9]

Great Q&A! Azalea question: I pruned pretty hard just after flowering (almost a reset prune)… it’s got good new growth overall, but LOTS of suckers overcrowded around base… should I “thin” them?

[@lg5689]

I continue to learn and be inspired by your practical information. Do you have any recommendations for self-watering pots? I had given up on keeping plants with high water requirements in the house as, inevitably, they attract gnats. I would like to try again with something that keeps the top of the soil drier.

[@jennifergreene8891]

Good morning Jim and Stephanie! What a GREAT Q&A this week 😊 you covered many of my thoughts and questions. Thank you for sharing your fantastic knowledge! Poor Stephanie 😂 your mosquito 🦟 repellent... I have a pretty bad reaction to them. And 2 of my grandkids get huge swellings as well. Everyone else is like you, no big deal. I use off every time I go out. Thank you again 🙏

[@DebM-x4b]

Should beauty berries be cut down to the ground in winter? Zone 8b. Ocean isle beach , NC

[@pc1189]

Invasive is misunderstood - native can be aggressive - non natives can be invasive if they overtake habitat of native plants 😊

[@Jgturn11]

Q: I'm laying out New paths in the garden, how wide should we start out with?

[@lisapremo9327]

Right there with you, Steph!

[@sunitashastry5270]

I am so glad you addressed the A I issue. People don’t know what AI is - basically it’s taking everything from the digital world and regurgitating it over and over. I direct so many people who live in your warmer zones to check on your videos for best plants for various purposes. I would also suggest to people that they look at information about new introduction from reputed companies. Especially the videos I’ve noticed highlight what is improved or unique - that’s worth checking out. People do nt realize that until Proven winners started working in hydrangeas, they were not such a great and popular plant. That’s only one example.

[@gamera2020]

QUESTION: My back fence gets blasting Texas (8a) sun most of the year, but is then in full shade for about 2-3 months for winter. I've been trying to find some fast growing shrubs that will top out at abour 12 ft (power lines) but get at least 10 ft to block spot lights my back neighbor leaves on all night. They sit on his roof and because the shades are glass, the light pollution is well distributed. Finding something that can take the worst of the sun and worst of the shade has been a challenge. I have a dwarf Burford's holly that gets 8-10 feet but don't know if it will handle full winter shade.

[@franziluton680]

Love your Q & A! My neighbor sprayed something along our mutual fence and it killed all our vegetation! How long should I wait before I can replant?

[@kellyweber4047]

Thanks Jim Putnam, I always learn something from your videos but this one was great! A question for you: I am in zone 9B New Orleans, and am highly allergic to fire-ants. I discovered I love gardening and have learned so much from you over the last three years. However, with the consistent heavy rains we have had this summer, I have fire-ant beds popping up all over, so I’m not able to be out there. I have to put everything on pause; can’t risk getting bit. The garden center in my area suggested beneficial nematodes to eat the ants. The cost is $36 per box which is considerably higher than ant poison (although poison doesn’t seem to do anything but move them around). I did some Internet research on nematodes, and it says they’re roundworm. Do you have any thoughts on whether or not this is going to kill the fire ants / be detrimental to my plants / potentially make it problematic to walk barefoot in the future??? Thank you and I appreciate your channel SO MUCH.

[@irvingluna4914]

Always looking forward to your Q&A, I do have a question in reference to 2 of my panicle hydrangeas. Their both in part sun maybe the reason their stretching so much, don’t plan to move them at least now. What’s the best way to o hold them upright, as usually after some rain their touching the floor… Thanks for keeping us sane throughout our gardening journey.👍🏼

[@tropicalpond290]

Always look forward to your Q&A videos. I have a question, I hope I am not too late. I live in zone 9a in South Louisiana. I have a plethora of heirloom narcissus, byzantine gladiolus, and crinum. Is this time of year, late summer an appropriate time to divide them?

[@kaychaney6102]

You are my go to. Thank you. I’ve requested several times to send me a link to change my password. I put things in my shopping cart and couldn’t check out. I know I’m not tech savvy but want to watch the learn to garden series I’ve already bought and want the new monthly series. Please help this old lady out. Love to you both!

[@kaychaney6102]

By the way. I’ve found 3 snakes in my 2 years living here. I learned they are very beneficial to my yard.

[@JimPutnam]

I don't see anyone's password request. Are you definitely using the same email that you signed up with or could the reset email be going to junk mail?

[@kaychaney6102]

@@JimPutnam I don’t see anything in junk mail either. I bought the learn to garden series and wanted to buy the next. So frustrating. I guess I need a 10 year old to help me.

[@luxuriousspaces4136]

I, too, love pancake arborvitae. I believe one of my five got too wet from a sprinkler system malfunction & has dead looking lower foliage, but there is fresh growth at the top. Should I cut out what looks dead or will new foliage come out of those stems? They are not crispy & still bend. Or should I just pull it up & start over with a new one? Thanks! I sure wish KZbin would allow a picture so you could see what I am poorly describing.

[@hollywoodmomof3]

Skin So Soft from AVON for mosquito repellent!

[@charlesoberdorf8478]

Also, dryer sheets. Just rub them on exposed areas and then tie it around your wrist. I used to do that with my kids when they were small. It deters all but the most voracious ones!

[@HiggsICE]

Might be a silly question but something I slightly worry about. If I add mulch year after year to my garden beds will the soil level rise and bury the plants or have the plants end up in dips?

[@LULC0759]

It should break down in the soil. I’m older so hubs & I have started hiring someone to lay mulch. They rake out old stuff and weed and put fresh mulch down. I only use natural brown, no dyed as it’s not good for the soil beneath.

[@angelacross2216]

With 35 years of mulching my garden the beds have raised up and the plants have moved up with them. The only exception is the blueberries which were mulched very deeply their first year. They like to sucker.

[@diannejumper6556]

Question I have a very large Maple tree with flower beds 12-15 ft from it. Even with watering daily, the ground is very dry. Would it be beneficial to water the tree with a sprinkler? Would it take less water from the other plants?

[@thomasnoble1816]

We are currently being overwhelmed by nut sedge. It is widespread in the beds and lawns. We cut off the seed heads when we see them to reduce the seed bank but we know that this is just a rear guard action. Would a large scale chemical intervention be potentially effective in this situation- or should we just learn to tolerate it?

[@hfhodges]

Atlanta 7b/8a: We are having the same with nut sedge and chamber bitter (aka mimosa weed). We have to spray it where we can, but both are persistent in the lawn. We will have to do a much better job in Jan-Feb next year of pre-emergence. For the beds, I pull any as I see it coming up, but by mid July, it is awful. Any other suggestions would be helpful.

[@MickF04]

We just planted some Graffiti Pentas to replace the Gaillardia that struggled to do well here in Central Texas (8b). The Pentas were purchased in 3.25" square containers that were in open full sun at the nursery. Pentas are new to me, so I'm not sure what to look for to indicate they aren't getting enough water, especially with our Texas summer heat.

[@judymckerrow6720]

My tomato plants are HUGE this year . The only thing I did was start them off with Bio Tone . More foliage than fruit and planted in a new area so I don’t exactly know what’s going on. I know that nothing has ever been planted in that area because last year it was a weed field. 🌺💚🙃

[@lulubell711]

Hello, I have rooted a White Wedding hydrangea and a Sweet Tea Olive shrub in pots. They have been in there for a year. When is the best time to put them in the ground? Thank you, Sandy from SE Tennessee. Zone 8 A.

[@waynem.7226]

Do you fear that tried and true older plant varieties will unfortunately disappear from the marketplace to be replaced by all the 'new and improved' introductions? What new introductions have you found to be inferior to the older cultivars? I wish I was getting your rain in our moderate drought up north.

[@charlesoberdorf8478]

Donna here, thank you for taking my question. I'm very excited because I finally got my hands on a Paul's Gold! The area that I would like to put it gets blasting afternoon sun. On the tag it says part shade to full sun. Will it bee ok in the hot afternoon sun or should I look for another shadier spot? I'm in 8b, Louisiana. (another fun fact, we lived in Spartanburg for a little bit too)

[@PrettyLittleGarden2930]

Is there anything you can do to prevent mature spirea shrubs from looking woody at the base? I prune them every fall. Thank you. 😊

[@matthewnelson2830]

With as many pollinators as you have what pesticides do you use for your home?

[@trishferrer8209]

I have never given you a thumbs-down. 😂 That would be mean. Interesting though, how the algorhythms work. I call the super aggressive plants from other countries "invasives", and super aggressive natives, "aggressive garden thugs". I want a t-shirt! Will get one or 3 asap!

[@JonFlash]

Can a pine tree being removed from my yard be mulched and used the same as a hardwood for bed prep? Or would it be best for a foot path only?

[@Collington23]

Any tips on pruning coleus? I’m in central FL zone 9b and planted some 12 inch tall coleuses last month and they’re already 3 and a half feet tall and one is flowering. They’re looking great but I was wondering if I could keep them in bounds by pruning them. If so, how much?

[@garyschoolcraft4797]

Hey, I’m thinking about getting an Empress of China Dogwood and doing some research, found that it is recommended clay soils should be avoided. I was wondering what conditions you have your’s growing in and any tips you may have for success. Placement in front yard with a NE location Zone 6b 7a. WV. Clay soil.

[@L4sleeko]

Tomatoes! 🍅 ❤

[@TammyGowdy]

Just ordered two Plant Nerd tees!

[@JimPutnam]

Thank you so much!

[@CynLynRin]

Another question about containers: Do you ever use a fancy drill bit to add additional drainage holes into ceramic pots? My enormous ceramic pot has one drainage hole that is only slightly bigger than the hole in a much smaller pot. I have no problem drilling holes into metal, but I would not want to crack ceramic by attempting to drill a second hole. Do I need to get braver? (Zone 8a, Atlanta)

[@kellyroo3]

Thank you for answering my question about the Better Boxwoods not being available in Tennessee. I know that McMinnville is a major nursery hub, but it feels as if, at some point, there is going to be a disease/health issue that will develop if they are confined to only growing the same varieties year after year. I would think an improved version with disease resistance would be something that they would have started trialing and testing once there was industry talk of Better Boxwoods being available to the market. Thanks for another informative video!

[@sparklingwiggle]

I want to move some podocarpus to the east facing foundation of my home. They will get sun until about 1230pm. Will that be enough light? Or should I consider other options? Suggestions? Northwest Florida 9b

[@deannahaworth7666]

Thank you for the Sunday Q&A ! Soon it will be tree planting season and I would love to incorporate a narrow evergreen ( tiny urban lot) watching your garden tour video made me fall in love with the Green Penguin pine and wondered if it would do well for my small space or what evergreen would you suggest? I am in southwest Missouri ( Springfield) 6b

[@mandocool]

Thank you Steph and Jim for all the hard work! My question: I’m in zone 8B Southern California, high Desert - I have several August beauty gardenias that I want to relocate. Should I wait until winter or is it OK to do it when the weather starts to cool off in September?

[@colsen4616]

Due to rock removal, plant moving, etc., I’ve got low spots in established beds. What’s the best way to even things out?

[@TammyGowdy]

Thanks!

[@JimPutnam]

Thank you so much!

[@Jennyresilence]

I live in apex, I have all clay front yard with a ton of rocks. I want to build a fence, have grass and many plants and or small tree. What do you recommend to deal with rocks and clay? Thank you.