My central California yard has different zones... one side of my front yard is completely sun... 100 degrees all summer. The other side is in constant shade and is a lot cooler even in summer. The eastern side of the house is all dry shade and the Western side is all sun. So finding out which plants grow best where is the challenge. Fun! 😁😆
I'm in N. Calif as well, I love my very different zones in my garden. I have a shade garden, a full sun garden, morning sun, HOT afternoon sun, dry shade, partial shade, it's all planted accordingly after much trial and error, and now a success. Although it took a while to achieve.
Yup, me too... Northern California with multiple micro climates in my little suburban garden, back yard is south facing & full sun. Front yard is north facing with some areas that are deep shade year round & everything else ranges from full shade to full sun depending on time of year. The parts that are shade in the winter & sun in the summer are quite a challenge.
I can barely see any mulch the home builders landscape company left 3 years ago. I'm glad to hear I don't need to remove what's around the african lily plants.
Good morning, Jim. Thank you for very valuable and knowledgeable answers to our questions. Am in California zone 10. I purchased some tulip bulbs last year, did the cold treatment and planted them in dec. They flowered beautifully in Feb. I waited until all the foliage had turned brown, dug them up and placed them in a box in the refrigerator. How long can bulbs survive being in that constant cold? They will probably be around 7 months in cold refrigeration storage. Hugs and extra belly rubs for Holly from me. Hugs and kisses to Griffin too. A warm Hello to Steph, I've missed seeing her.
I think using sunset zones would be valuable, but when you look at plant tags, only USDA zone information is listed. I wish growers would include both.
The zone explanation is great , I volunteer at my local botanical gardens taking care of some flowerbeds and that question is one of the most asked by visitors explaining that a certain zone in the southwest is not the same as the same zone rating southeast because of heat and humidity factors . There is usually a heat zone listed on a plant label but most people only focus on the winter hardy zone .
We had a large load of "top soil" delivered in Wilmington, NC. Looked great when delivered. After a heavy rain on the pile all that was left was a pile of sand. Live and learn.
Thank you so much for all your informative videos. I was so happy to hear that. I do not have to remove the old mulch 🙂 thank you for explaining it so clearly
It’s so helpful when you give info like how many inches of rain you get, or the summer temps in degrees. You tube gardens really range, and when people just say it’s hot, it’s easy to assume it’s whatever you think is hot. As I compare how my plants are performing vs plants in another area, it’s helpful to know what variables we have in common. So often, you or someone else might say that an annual will really take off in the heat of summer. I can tell mine aren’t taking off here in the Pacific Northwest zone 8b, and I’m left wondering if it’s purely night temps, day temps, length of day, or if you’re just a plant whisperer, lol.
Some really gems (jims?) in this one - Agave Killer, Fluffy! 😂 I have a family heirloom French lilac, 7b west of CLT, and it flowers decently but it's in afternoon shade and away from radiant heat of the patio/house.
On heat tolerant conifers, I planted an 'Amber Glow' dawn redwood last year and it has done very well here in Dallas even with 53 days hitting 100+ this year. It gets full sun from 10am-5pm or so. Really impressed with the tree. A bit of leaf burn but not any worse than the bald cypress or many other trees in my neighborhood. It does get plenty of water though... I don't think that tree would do well in Dallas without being in a lawn that gets watered twice per week over summer due to how hot/dry our summers can get.
Omg the question about the Zone map, i get the low temperature info but the summer heat part i just can never understand how myself in 8b Alabama can be the same as someone in the Pacific Northwest our heat and humidity are so different. I’m gonna have to check out the sunset zone map. Would love more info on that.
Jim - any suggestions on where to buy the Empress of China dogwood online? I have checked multiple retailers and no one seems to have it in stock. Any other suggestions for a similar dogwood if that variety is not readily available? Thanks! I love your channel and have learned so much from you!
Hi Jim, do you use mushroom compost? Do you encourage the use of it? Have you any experience with Biochar? Do you have any peat alternatives? Can peat be sustainably harvested?
🤣🤣🤣 Agave killer. Funny thing is when you read the question I also thought 🤔 hmmm. It certainly lacked inflection or left the interpretation wide open. Love your channel. Thanks for passing along your knowledge.
Zone question: if a plant is listed as hardy in 3-7, does that mean you shouldn’t plant in 8 or higher? Is there an implied number of chill hours that the plant needs that a warmer zone would not be able to provide?
Dahlias are making it through the winter in my ground now, here in zone 6A, central Ohio! I left most of mine in the ground last winter, and they all grew back. I do dig the ground really deeply and thoroughly when planting my dahlias, so they have excellent drainage and the roots don’t rot over the winter.
Hello Jim, thank you so much for addressing so many important topics on this channel. So I asked last week regarding adding landscape fabric under mulch, the damage was done and bad me for not doing my homework and agreeing to the landscape company suggestion. I’m in so much pain now, after reading so much about the cons I went Ahead and removed it from my entire beds around the entire fence. I know I’m crazy 😜. I have been building up my plant beds and the last thing I want is to suffocate them. I just hope weeds don’t come up easily with just mulch!
We have a 20X20 foot area on the side of our house that we had as a dog run that our lab only used as a bathroom. Every fall we would put 1-2 feet of leaves in the run and threw other yard waste out there and our dog would trample it down over the year. He went to doggie heaven 11 years ago and other than our grand dog occasionally using it (he prefers my hosta beds 😂) it has been unused. Every few years we throw our fall leaves in there but otherwise it is no longer used as a dog run. I notice the soil is very soft and loose and wonder if at this point if the dog excrement is gone and we could use it for compost in our yard.
Hi Jim. We're converting our backyard lawn into a garden (zone 7a). I am removing grass using a method I've never tried but have read about: you cut the sod into strips and, rather than removing it, you turn it grass-side-down, cover it with a thin layer of compost and 2-3 inches of mulch, and let the grass decompose. The thinking is that this will keep nutrients and organic matter in place. I wonder what you think about this? And, do you think I should wait until spring before planting anything, or could I plant a couple larger trees this fall? I figure one drawback to this method would be if there is bermuda grass or other persistent weeds in the lawn....Thank you for all your informative videos!
Thanks Jim for answering my question about Dahlias, I also didn't have a good experience with top soil, the water just roll of the top of the soil that was it for me
What ever happened to the Winterberry bush you planted a few years back? It was one of my first videos I saw of your and you were my first UA-cam gardening channel I subscribed to.
I finally found a Flame Thrower Redbud today with a nursery having a big end of season sale. Went for one thing come home with 3 trees/shrubs, a birdbath and a firepit lol
I love your conifer videos, unfortunately I can’t grow them in my TX zone 9a. Two of my creeping juniper plants died this summer but my blue point juniper is looking gorgeous. I would Love to see plants labeled with both winter and summer zones too and lately I’ve been placing TX natives and Mediterranean plants on my southern exposure side after this past drought.
Jim … I can take an answer here if you don’t want to put on video …. I ordered the Jane and the Anne magnolia .. small maybe 2 feet . Ty Ty nursery said they can’t ship to me until December 11 from Georgia until it is dormant . I am zone 7a south Jersey …. They are giving me option to delay to spring , ship immediately, or cancel . Any Recommendations? I plan to plant each separately in 32” diameter large shrub or tree patio planters. Okay to take delivery and plant in December ( have been mild here usually … but who knows nowadays ) Thank you in advance !
Yes, I asked about your white wedding hydrangeas, showing them, and you said that the person who questioned , thought you were hiding something! Yea hurt my feelings 😢 , I don’t know how you read my question, have not asked any more questions 34:08
I didn't see your question. It was just a joke about a very short question I had read. I get so many questions every week that I don't see them all. The white wedding hydrangeas are doing great. Thank you for asking. They have finished flowering and heading to sleep soon.
I have an old gardenia that has outgrown it's space and is taking over my path to the backyard. It is likely Mystery, but could be August Beauty...who remembers from 30 years ago? Can it be successfully cut back and if so how far and when? It is currently about 10 feet tall and wide and blooms beautifully each year. It's becoming increasingly more difficult to get a wheelbarrow down the path.
They're tropical bulbs. I try to dry mine out to get them to go dormant before a frost. I've dug them out, knocked off the dirt & finished drying in a cardboard box where they're out of direct sun but gets lots of air circulation until the leaves come off. I adore Caladium but they're expensive to buy every year. After the soil is all off, I use onion bags & put those in paper bags to store inside. To get them growing early, they like heat on their bottoms. Good luck!
@@katiekane5247 Thank you. Last year I dug them up early and about half didn’t do well. And they are shade plants but mine did best in full sun??? I do love them but they are expensive and I really don’t want to buy new ach year. Thanks again.
I live in Durham, so not far from you at all. My question is how can I protect my fruit trees from Japanese beetles? They really did a number on them this summer.
After we pull up the plants in our vegetable garden for the winter, is it ok to use pine straw to cover mulch until Spring? We have abundant pine straw and oak leaves.
Question - Do you have lighting in your garden? I'm trying to add a little bit of light around some of the darker corners of my property but I haven't found a light source that calls to me. I feel like I've outgrown plain Jane solar lights. Even with the porch lights on I have 2 corners that are pitch black. We do a lot of bbq's during Roll Tide season and I'd like to show off the work I've put into this season. Side note- I left a question a month or 2 ago about my baby Japanese maple dropping all of its leaves and putting out green new growth on the graft line. You told me to cut the green growth off and wait and see.... I literally gave up on this thing, cut everything off, and put it in the ground. One day I happen to look over there and it's fricking beautiful!!!!!!
My sunshine ligustrums are dying. Losing all the leaves. They get plenty of water and direct sunlight. They are planted together as shrubs. Out of 5 plants only 2 look healthy.
That’s a tuff plant. Try not watering for 2 weeks. Mine is on a hillside. It probably gets water 5 times a year. I tend to think do less is the better option. It doesn’t need you as much as you think
When is the best time to mulch to avoid winter weeds? Is it just me but it’s really difficult clearing out fallen tree and rose leaves from rose flower beds without taking out the mulch as well. How do you recommend clearing out rose beds without getting rid of the much underneath it or am I supposed to replace the mulch underneath roses every season? I know it may be a winter or spring question but I’ve been taking your advice and just letting fall leaves decompose on their own and I just add compost/mulch on top but I don’t want to attract disease or harbor bad bugs. Am I just overthinking this?
I bought 2 St. John's wort Brigadoon plants. They came as such small plants so I do not know if I should plant them together or separately as planned. I am zone 6 eastern Washington. I am not sure how hardy they are and do not want to lose them if I plant now separately. You have recommended this plant and it is a real standout in your garden. Thanks
How to get my spireas bushier ? Planted 6 last season and came back this season not as bushy. I didn’t prune it so all and gets water and fertilizer this spring . Anything I should do to get it looking beautiful for next year ? Zone 5b in sunny location
Is that a Christmas Jewel Holly in the vegetable garden where you put a lot of plants that were in containers? It really does look like a little Christmas tree! Hope to find some of these to add to my garden soon. Thanks!
Hey Jim. I need a purple to black foliage plant that is manageable 3x3 feet or less that is North Facing in Zone 7 (full sun 3pm to sundown) that doesn't defoliate as bad as Purple Daydream. Purple Daydream just gets hit too hard by winter damage at the site and stays thin all year.
Why do I have such a problem with slugs on my cool season annuals? Leafy greens, ornamental kale, pansies, mums… they all get torn up by slugs. My garden is part shade / part sun, I keep it mulched, and I follow your advice on fertilizer. It’ more of a problem in the cool season but I’m not sure if that’s the weather or just the plants. Do I just need to find slug-resistant plants? Plants that are more shade tolerant? Any cultural controls I could add?
How did you meet The Gibbersons? I have loved the videos of their garden and they have given me lots of great ideas for pathways and gardening with water.
Hi Jim! I am so glad I found your channel because you provide so much great information. My question is regarding perennials and if/qhen to cut them back or if I even have to? In other videos, you say not to cut nack this late in the season so as not to promote growth and allow them to go to sleep. However, I have some sad looking shasta daisies with dying limbs and am wondering if not cutting could be doing harm? Will perennials die if winter comes and I havent cut them? Im right outside Baltimore, MD. Thank you!
Did you mention some new boxwoods coming out you were going to talk about this fall, or did I dream it? I’m planning a hedge so I might have dreamed it.
Hey Jim! There is a Camellia "Kanjiro" several feet from a Waterfall Japanese Maple in my garden. Can I strategically prune them to prevent crowding over time, or should I move the Camellia now while it's relatively small? I really like where they both are.
I am still waiting to see the hedge, I bought two white wedding and I still have one, is it true that they are made for more shade tolerant, I’m still trying to figure it out
Jim, can dahlias still grow well next season if their growing conditions have been jeopardized this season. I miscalculated how big and tall canna lilies can grow so dahlias planted too close to them all got overshadowed. Dahlias are still alive but never grow to the right height, don't even mention flowers. They don't look healthy or robust. I will overwinter them and plant them again but how will they perform next year? I am in zone 7b, New York. Thank you!
Question, We "inherited" a mass planting of Leyland Cypresses. About 49 total planted in two staggered lines. Horrible, and not doing well. Are there any major issues with not grinding the stumps? The quote to include stump grinding doubles the cost to remove them. We plan to plant in the voids between the stumps and figure the roots are going to be left behind so why take on the added expense of stump removal. We'll just have the trees cut flush with the ground. Thoughts? Are we making a huge mistake by leaving the stump unground?
Curious how your neighbors 🦵 leggy Chindo Viburnum responded to your pruning? I just planted 7 in a pretty shady spot to screen out some neighbors and definitely forecast doing a little leggy pruning myself in the future 😆
No one talks about how some flowering plants will not flower for a few years after transplanting. They come from the nursery in bloom and once in the ground, don't bloom for a year or two. Things like azaleas, peonies, macrophylla hydrangeas, etc. Can you explain which plants you shouldn't give up on after the first year? Which will take a few years to bloom?
The doom and gloomers are predicting a possible super El Niño resulting in a colder and wetter southeast this winter. I suppose we should approach it like every year? Mound up plants. Lean on natives and / or use plants one hardiness zone greater. Be willing to lose marginal plants. Anything else? Would you use a different strategy with putting out compost and a thick layer of wood chips on top of that?
So at 12:24 you talked about “top soil” coming with all kinds of issues and you said don’t purchase “top soil”. So what if you have already purchased “top soil” and it’s rock hard what do you do to fix it?
Hi Jim! I have a question about my little lime panicle hydrangea in zone 8a GA- it was planted March 2023 from very small plant, it has grown a lot this year but the stems are very floppy and the center is open. It gets 5 to 6hrs of sun a day. Any ideas why or tips to get it more upright and full in the center?
Can you talk about the presence of mushrooms in our garden beds? Is that a sign of health or is it not wanted? Since I started building up my soil I’m having large varieties of these pop-up. I’m in Memphis TN which is zone 8
For bulb spacing, is the spacing from edge to edge of the bulb or from the center of one bulb to the center of the next one? I ordered some Crocreation crocus, and in watching your planting video from December 2021 it looks like you pack them in much closer than the recommended 3 inches apart if the former.
Hi Jim, appreciate these videos so much!! Our Little Miss Figgy produced an abundance of figs this year (3rd year in the ground) last year there were a dozen or so figs that didn’t ripen. This year it’s covered in figs yet none of the figs are ripe enough to pick. (With the exception of one that the insects feasted on.) Is this the norm? Is there anything I should be doing to amend? Also how far and when do we prune this fall? It’s in full sun all day. Hand water deeply only once a week or so. Fertilized in spring only. Zone 7b Buford, GA. Thank you for your advise.
Question: zone 5b/6a literal border. I have a small fire chief arborvitae I just got online. It's healthy looking now. Do I plant now or wait till spring? 85 and sunny currently here in Indy. Frost could come soon though.
QUESTION: When is the earliest I can cut my tired, spindly 10 yr old limelights to the ground (they look especially pathetic because of the hard summer this year) - Or would you personally replace them with an improved variety? Zone 7A northern VA - THANKYOU 😊🙏
Thank you for your really helpful and fun videos! i have a question, having searched through your videos i can't find an answer. I have spring purchsed and recently purchased deciduous magnolias. The ones i have had since spring and the new ones that arrived this week have leaves turning brown. Can't find it in a disease list, it is not scale, is it just natural fall leaf die off? Thannk you so much!!
Hey Jim! I have an autumn brilliance serviceberry that’s been in the ground 3 full seasons. In late summer it started to grown new leaves on 2 branches up in the canopy that are at least 2x bigger than the rest of the leaves. And while the smaller older leaves have started to change, these new ones are bright green and soft. Have you ever seen this? Any idea what could be happening? I’m in Carteret Co NC, zone 8. Thanks!!!
Hi, Jim! As always, your content is much appreciated. Any suggestions for a reliable perennial verbena? I've found Homestead to be unreliable. I'm in the Triad of NC.
When is the best time to remove shrub suckers/runners? I'm in PNW Z8b, and my lilac and rugosa roses are suckering like crazy. They're all established plants. Should I get rid of them ASAP or wait until late winter?
I adore your Q&A videos - no one else does them to the level you do - so helpful 😊 I have a fireglow japanese maple that has grown very lovely on its own with minimal pruning but this fall the leader has shot up akwardly from the rest of the tree and now is sprouting off side shoots. So if you can picture a lovely regular tree, a gap, and then a little poof up higher. I'm nervous to prune bc it's the leader stem...what do I do?
Separating multi-planted shrubs? I have a chamaecyparis pisifera that has been in the ground for 2 years. The nursery put 2 plants in the pot originally and I've tried to prune out one of them but it grows back just as strong! Don't love the 2 leaders look it has. I'm inclined to dig it up this fall and try to separate out the roots. Do you think it will be a butcher job that will do more harm than good? Any tips?
When is the best time to move lantana? I’ve got 4 ms huff that have been in place for 3 years. I want to relocate them but not kill them in the process. How big of a root ball should I get because this thing can grow probably 8x8 but I keep it 4x4 by pruning it 4-5 times a season.
I live in central MS, zone 8. I planted an Autumn Blaze Maple tree in October 2022 that had leaves from top to bottom. In the spring of this year only the bottom half of the tree had leaves. In June I did a scratch test on the top branches and did not find any green on those branches. I made the decision to cut the top of the tree off. The leaves on the bottom half thrived for the most part considering we are in a severe drought. I have been consistently watering it. Do you think this tree has a chance to survive long term, or should I remove it? I am new to your channel and enjoy watching and learning. Thank you.
Jim and Holly on a Sunday morning in the garden makes the day just that much better 🍃🌿🍂
My central California yard has different zones... one side of my front yard is completely sun... 100 degrees all summer. The other side is in constant shade and is a lot cooler even in summer. The eastern side of the house is all dry shade and the Western side is all sun. So finding out which plants grow best where is the challenge. Fun! 😁😆
Me too! I’m in northern Ca. Janey from dig plant water repeat talks about the sunset garden zones that addresses this very thing.
I'm in N. Calif as well, I love my very different zones in my garden. I have a shade garden, a full sun garden, morning sun, HOT afternoon sun, dry shade, partial shade, it's all planted accordingly after much trial and error, and now a success. Although it took a while to achieve.
Yup, me too... Northern California with multiple micro climates in my little suburban garden, back yard is south facing & full sun. Front yard is north facing with some areas that are deep shade year round & everything else ranges from full shade to full sun depending on time of year. The parts that are shade in the winter & sun in the summer are quite a challenge.
Loving that Windmill palm and LOVE that Holly girl 🌴🌴🌴🐕
I can barely see any mulch the home builders landscape company left 3 years ago. I'm glad to hear I don't need to remove what's around the african lily plants.
I always look forward to your Sunday Q and A video
Thank you Jim !!
Good morning, Jim. Thank you for very valuable and knowledgeable answers to our questions. Am in California zone 10. I purchased some tulip bulbs last year, did the cold treatment and planted them in dec. They flowered beautifully in Feb. I waited until all the foliage had turned brown, dug them up and placed them in a box in the refrigerator. How long can bulbs survive being in that constant cold? They will probably be around 7 months in cold refrigeration storage. Hugs and extra belly rubs for Holly from me. Hugs and kisses to Griffin too. A warm Hello to Steph, I've missed seeing her.
19:02 - So by definition, mulch once every two years is the safer bet.
I think using sunset zones would be valuable, but when you look at plant tags, only USDA zone information is listed. I wish growers would include both.
Dahlia weeds😂😂 what a glorious weed to have💚
The zone explanation is great , I volunteer at my local botanical gardens taking care of some flowerbeds and that question is one of the most asked by visitors explaining that a certain zone in the southwest is not the same as the same zone rating southeast because of heat and humidity factors . There is usually a heat zone listed on a plant label but most people only focus on the winter hardy zone .
We had a large load of "top soil" delivered in Wilmington, NC. Looked great when delivered. After a heavy rain on the pile all that was left was a pile of sand. Live and learn.
Thank you so much for all your informative videos. I was so happy to hear that. I do not have to remove the old mulch 🙂 thank you for explaining it so clearly
Thank you for your videos. Anytime I have a question or concern in my garden in 7B, I check your videos. The information is always helpful.
It’s so helpful when you give info like how many inches of rain you get, or the summer temps in degrees. You tube gardens really range, and when people just say it’s hot, it’s easy to assume it’s whatever you think is hot. As I compare how my plants are performing vs plants in another area, it’s helpful to know what variables we have in common. So often, you or someone else might say that an annual will really take off in the heat of summer. I can tell mine aren’t taking off here in the Pacific Northwest zone 8b, and I’m left wondering if it’s purely night temps, day temps, length of day, or if you’re just a plant whisperer, lol.
Some really gems (jims?) in this one - Agave Killer, Fluffy! 😂 I have a family heirloom French lilac, 7b west of CLT, and it flowers decently but it's in afternoon shade and away from radiant heat of the patio/house.
If you have never been to Arborcrest Gardens in Boone, NC, you are missing out! Amazing stuff!
When you are in Cincinnati, take a drive about 50 miles east and come to my house and give me some major advice. 😊
On heat tolerant conifers, I planted an 'Amber Glow' dawn redwood last year and it has done very well here in Dallas even with 53 days hitting 100+ this year. It gets full sun from 10am-5pm or so. Really impressed with the tree. A bit of leaf burn but not any worse than the bald cypress or many other trees in my neighborhood. It does get plenty of water though... I don't think that tree would do well in Dallas without being in a lawn that gets watered twice per week over summer due to how hot/dry our summers can get.
I planted on in central OK last year. What a tree! I guess we'll see how bad the roots are in 10yrs 😂
Omg the question about the Zone map, i get the low temperature info but the summer heat part i just can never understand how myself in 8b Alabama can be the same as someone in the Pacific Northwest our heat and humidity are so different. I’m gonna have to check out the sunset zone map. Would love more info on that.
Jim - any suggestions on where to buy the Empress of China dogwood online? I have checked multiple retailers and no one seems to have it in stock. Any other suggestions for a similar dogwood if that variety is not readily available? Thanks! I love your channel and have learned so much from you!
Good morning everyone!!
As always, great information.
❤hello Mr Jim Putnam and Stephany 😊thank you for information about gardening. Fall is here, yeeeee .see you guys soon. 😊❤
What do you think about using layers of newspaper under mulch to suppress weeds.
Thanks Jim! Glad Holly is doing well. 😊
Hi Jim, thanks so much for explaining the hardiness zones.
I always look forward to seeing your video's.
Hi Jim, do you use mushroom compost? Do you encourage the use of it? Have you any experience with Biochar? Do you have any peat alternatives? Can peat be sustainably harvested?
Good morning
One clarification on USDA zones: it’s based on the average _extreme_ low temperature per year, and not an average of all the daily lows
Thank you! Your Q&A videos are a wealth of help for us as beginner gardeners.
🤣🤣🤣 Agave killer. Funny thing is when you read the question I also thought 🤔 hmmm. It certainly lacked inflection or left the interpretation wide open. Love your channel. Thanks for passing along your knowledge.
Zone question: if a plant is listed as hardy in 3-7, does that mean you shouldn’t plant in 8 or higher? Is there an implied number of chill hours that the plant needs that a warmer zone would not be able to provide?
This question has been driving me crazy forever. Has he answered this in the next Q and A?
Can you divide lantanas and when is the best time to move established lantanas?
Dahlias are making it through the winter in my ground now, here in zone 6A, central Ohio! I left most of mine in the ground last winter, and they all grew back. I do dig the ground really deeply and thoroughly when planting my dahlias, so they have excellent drainage and the roots don’t rot over the winter.
Wow, that's impressive!
Hello Jim, thank you so much for addressing so many important topics on this channel. So I asked last week regarding adding landscape fabric under mulch, the damage was done and bad me for not doing my homework and agreeing to the landscape company suggestion. I’m in so much pain now, after reading so much about the cons I went
Ahead and removed it from my entire beds around the entire fence. I know I’m crazy 😜. I have been building up my plant beds and the last thing I want is to suffocate them. I just hope weeds don’t come up easily with just mulch!
I laughed out loud regarding the agave 😁 I’m the same way I tend to always add an exclamation point bc it makes the sentence seem lighter lol
Thank you for answering my question!
We have a 20X20 foot area on the side of our house that we had as a dog run that our lab only used as a bathroom. Every fall we would put 1-2 feet of leaves in the run and threw other yard waste out there and our dog would trample it down over the year. He went to doggie heaven 11 years ago and other than our grand dog occasionally using it (he prefers my hosta beds 😂) it has been unused. Every few years we throw our fall leaves in there but otherwise it is no longer used as a dog run. I notice the soil is very soft and loose and wonder if at this point if the dog excrement is gone and we could use it for compost in our yard.
I love conifers. I have been adding more of them each year. I think I am partial to the weeping ones. ❤❤
Hi Jim. We're converting our backyard lawn into a garden (zone 7a). I am removing grass using a method I've never tried but have read about: you cut the sod into strips and, rather than removing it, you turn it grass-side-down, cover it with a thin layer of compost and 2-3 inches of mulch, and let the grass decompose. The thinking is that this will keep nutrients and organic matter in place. I wonder what you think about this? And, do you think I should wait until spring before planting anything, or could I plant a couple larger trees this fall? I figure one drawback to this method would be if there is bermuda grass or other persistent weeds in the lawn....Thank you for all your informative videos!
Thanks Jim. 🍁🍂🍁💚🙃
Thanks Jim for answering my question about Dahlias, I also didn't have a good experience with top soil, the water just roll of the top of the soil that was it for me
I would love a year-end compilation video of Jim-isms strung together. (Please!). And Fluffy! must make the reel. Classic! 😂😂😂
FLUFFY! That one had me laughing out loud
When I find that plastic like stuff in my yard. I pull it out . some of that stuff is hard to get up
What ever happened to the Winterberry bush you planted a few years back? It was one of my first videos I saw of your and you were my first UA-cam gardening channel I subscribed to.
I finally found a Flame Thrower Redbud today with a nursery having a big end of season sale. Went for one thing come home with 3 trees/shrubs, a birdbath and a firepit lol
I love your conifer videos, unfortunately I can’t grow them in my TX zone 9a. Two of my creeping juniper plants died this summer but my blue point juniper is looking gorgeous. I would Love to see plants labeled with both winter and summer zones too and lately I’ve been placing TX natives and Mediterranean plants on my southern exposure side after this past drought.
Such a beautiful palm. Thanks for your videos. I look forward to them.
Thanks, Jim 🌸🐝
Great info, thanks, Jim!!
Jim … I can take an answer here if you don’t want to put on video ….
I ordered the Jane and the Anne magnolia .. small maybe 2 feet .
Ty Ty nursery said they can’t ship to me until December 11 from Georgia until it is dormant . I am zone 7a south Jersey ….
They are giving me option to delay to spring , ship immediately, or cancel .
Any Recommendations? I plan to plant each separately in 32” diameter large shrub or tree patio planters. Okay to take delivery and plant in December ( have been mild here usually … but who knows nowadays )
Thank you in advance !
Yes, I asked about your white wedding hydrangeas, showing them, and you said that the person who questioned , thought you were hiding something! Yea hurt my feelings 😢 , I don’t know how you read my question, have not asked any more questions 34:08
I didn't see your question. It was just a joke about a very short question I had read. I get so many questions every week that I don't see them all. The white wedding hydrangeas are doing great. Thank you for asking. They have finished flowering and heading to sleep soon.
I have an old gardenia that has outgrown it's space and is taking over my path to the backyard. It is likely Mystery, but could be August Beauty...who remembers from 30 years ago? Can it be successfully cut back and if so how far and when? It is currently about 10 feet tall and wide and blooms beautifully each year. It's becoming increasingly more difficult to get a wheelbarrow down the path.
Also for planting depth do you measure from the bottom or the top of the bulb?
Should I wait for a frost before digging up my caladium bulbs or should they be dug up while leaves are still ok??
They're tropical bulbs. I try to dry mine out to get them to go dormant before a frost. I've dug them out, knocked off the dirt & finished drying in a cardboard box where they're out of direct sun but gets lots of air circulation until the leaves come off. I adore Caladium but they're expensive to buy every year. After the soil is all off, I use onion bags & put those in paper bags to store inside. To get them growing early, they like heat on their bottoms. Good luck!
@@katiekane5247 Thank you. Last year I dug them up early and about half didn’t do well. And they are shade plants but mine did best in full sun??? I do love them but they are expensive and I really don’t want to buy new ach year. Thanks again.
You are so so fabulous! Great teacher-
I live in Durham, so not far from you at all. My question is how can I protect my fruit trees from Japanese beetles? They really did a number on them this summer.
After we pull up the plants in our vegetable garden for the winter, is it ok to use pine straw to cover mulch until Spring? We have abundant pine straw and oak leaves.
Question - Do you have lighting in your garden? I'm trying to add a little bit of light around some of the darker corners of my property but I haven't found a light source that calls to me. I feel like I've outgrown plain Jane solar lights. Even with the porch lights on I have 2 corners that are pitch black. We do a lot of bbq's during Roll Tide season and I'd like to show off the work I've put into this season.
Side note- I left a question a month or 2 ago about my baby Japanese maple dropping all of its leaves and putting out green new growth on the graft line. You told me to cut the green growth off and wait and see.... I literally gave up on this thing, cut everything off, and put it in the ground. One day I happen to look over there and it's fricking beautiful!!!!!!
My sunshine ligustrums are dying. Losing all the leaves. They get plenty of water and direct sunlight. They are planted together as shrubs. Out of 5 plants only 2 look healthy.
They're being grown by everyone due to their popularity. I'm sure poor quality plants are hitting the market 😕
That’s a tuff plant. Try not watering for 2 weeks. Mine is on a hillside. It probably gets water 5 times a year. I tend to think do less is the better option. It doesn’t need you as much as you think
When is the best time to mulch to avoid winter weeds? Is it just me but it’s really difficult clearing out fallen tree and rose leaves from rose flower beds without taking out the mulch as well. How do you recommend clearing out rose beds without getting rid of the much underneath it or am I supposed to replace the mulch underneath roses every season? I know it may be a winter or spring question but I’ve been taking your advice and just letting fall leaves decompose on their own and I just add compost/mulch on top but I don’t want to attract disease or harbor bad bugs. Am I just overthinking this?
I bought 2 St. John's wort Brigadoon plants. They came as such small plants so I do not know if I should plant them together or separately as planned. I am zone 6 eastern Washington. I am not sure how hardy they are and do not want to lose them if I plant now separately. You have recommended this plant and it is a real standout in your garden. Thanks
How to get my spireas bushier ? Planted 6 last season and came back this season not as bushy. I didn’t prune it so all and gets water and fertilizer this spring . Anything I should do to get it looking beautiful for next year ? Zone 5b in sunny location
Is that a Christmas Jewel Holly in the vegetable garden where you put a lot of plants that were in containers? It really does look like a little Christmas tree! Hope to find some of these to add to my garden soon. Thanks!
Hey Jim. I need a purple to black foliage plant that is manageable 3x3 feet or less that is North Facing in Zone 7 (full sun 3pm to sundown) that doesn't defoliate as bad as Purple Daydream. Purple Daydream just gets hit too hard by winter damage at the site and stays thin all year.
Why do I have such a problem with slugs on my cool season annuals? Leafy greens, ornamental kale, pansies, mums… they all get torn up by slugs. My garden is part shade / part sun, I keep it mulched, and I follow your advice on fertilizer. It’ more of a problem in the cool season but I’m not sure if that’s the weather or just the plants. Do I just need to find slug-resistant plants? Plants that are more shade tolerant? Any cultural controls I could add?
Comment for the algorithm, in case it matters. Waiting for your UA-cam award thingie.
How did you meet The Gibbersons? I have loved the videos of their garden and they have given me lots of great ideas for pathways and gardening with water.
Where do u watch them? I would love to see what they have and maybe get some inspiration from them also
Hi Jim! I am so glad I found your channel because you provide so much great information. My question is regarding perennials and if/qhen to cut them back or if I even have to? In other videos, you say not to cut nack this late in the season so as not to promote growth and allow them to go to sleep. However, I have some sad looking shasta daisies with dying limbs and am wondering if not cutting could be doing harm? Will perennials die if winter comes and I havent cut them? Im right outside Baltimore, MD. Thank you!
"It's so fluffy!" 😄
Did you mention some new boxwoods coming out you were going to talk about this fall, or did I dream it? I’m planning a hedge so I might have dreamed it.
Hey Jim! There is a Camellia "Kanjiro" several feet from a Waterfall Japanese Maple in my garden. Can I strategically prune them to prevent crowding over time, or should I move the Camellia now while it's relatively small? I really like where they both are.
Hey Jim, I have several colors of drift roses and trim them back some every year. How far should or can I trim them back?
I am still waiting to see the hedge, I bought two white wedding and I still have one, is it true that they are made for more shade tolerant, I’m still trying to figure it out
Jim, can dahlias still grow well next season if their growing conditions have been jeopardized this season. I miscalculated how big and tall canna lilies can grow so dahlias planted too close to them all got overshadowed. Dahlias are still alive but never grow to the right height, don't even mention flowers. They don't look healthy or robust. I will overwinter them and plant them again but how will they perform next year? I am in zone 7b, New York. Thank you!
Please, please do a video about sunset zones!
Question, We "inherited" a mass planting of Leyland Cypresses. About 49 total planted in two staggered lines. Horrible, and not doing well. Are there any major issues with not grinding the stumps? The quote to include stump grinding doubles the cost to remove them. We plan to plant in the voids between the stumps and figure the roots are going to be left behind so why take on the added expense of stump removal. We'll just have the trees cut flush with the ground. Thoughts? Are we making a huge mistake by leaving the stump unground?
Curious how your neighbors 🦵 leggy Chindo Viburnum responded to your pruning? I just planted 7 in a pretty shady spot to screen out some neighbors and definitely forecast doing a little leggy pruning myself in the future 😆
No one talks about how some flowering plants will not flower for a few years after transplanting. They come from the nursery in bloom and once in the ground, don't bloom for a year or two. Things like azaleas, peonies, macrophylla hydrangeas, etc. Can you explain which plants you shouldn't give up on after the first year? Which will take a few years to bloom?
Hi Jim! What time of year is best to move 3 dwarf butterfly bushes to a new location in my yard?
The doom and gloomers are predicting a possible super El Niño resulting in a colder and wetter southeast this winter. I suppose we should approach it like every year? Mound up plants. Lean on natives and / or use plants one hardiness zone greater. Be willing to lose marginal plants. Anything else? Would you use a different strategy with putting out compost and a thick layer of wood chips on top of that?
So at 12:24 you talked about “top soil” coming with all kinds of issues and you said don’t purchase “top soil”. So what if you have already purchased “top soil” and it’s rock hard what do you do to fix it?
Hi Jim! I have a question about my little lime panicle hydrangea in zone 8a GA- it was planted March 2023 from very small plant, it has grown a lot this year but the stems are very floppy and the center is open. It gets 5 to 6hrs of sun a day. Any ideas why or tips to get it more upright and full in the center?
Can you talk about the presence of mushrooms in our garden beds? Is that a sign of health or is it not wanted? Since I started building up my soil I’m having large varieties of these pop-up. I’m in Memphis TN which is zone 8
For bulb spacing, is the spacing from edge to edge of the bulb or from the center of one bulb to the center of the next one? I ordered some Crocreation crocus, and in watching your planting video from December 2021 it looks like you pack them in much closer than the recommended 3 inches apart if the former.
Hi Jim, appreciate these videos so much!! Our Little Miss Figgy produced an abundance of figs this year (3rd year in the ground) last year there were a dozen or so figs that didn’t ripen. This year it’s covered in figs yet none of the figs are ripe enough to pick. (With the exception of one that the insects feasted on.) Is this the norm? Is there anything I should be doing to amend? Also how far and when do we prune this fall? It’s in full sun all day. Hand water deeply only once a week or so. Fertilized in spring only. Zone 7b Buford, GA. Thank you for your advise.
Howdy neighbor, I'm in Dawsonville 😊
I have a miss figgy in the ground for three years, and I am not getting figs, and they don’t ripen well in the Pacific Northwest 8b. Sigh 😔
@@katiekane5247 🙋♀️🌺
Question: zone 5b/6a literal border. I have a small fire chief arborvitae I just got online. It's healthy looking now. Do I plant now or wait till spring? 85 and sunny currently here in Indy. Frost could come soon though.
How can I dig up sharp hollys
QUESTION: When is the earliest I can cut my tired, spindly 10 yr old limelights to the ground (they look especially pathetic because of the hard summer this year) - Or would you personally replace them with an improved variety? Zone 7A northern VA - THANKYOU 😊🙏
Thank you for your really helpful and fun videos!
i have a question, having searched through your videos i can't find an answer. I have spring purchsed and recently purchased deciduous magnolias. The ones i have had since spring and the new ones that arrived this week have leaves turning brown. Can't find it in a disease list, it is not scale, is it just natural fall leaf die off? Thannk you so much!!
Hey Jim! I have an autumn brilliance serviceberry that’s been in the ground 3 full seasons. In late summer it started to grown new leaves on 2 branches up in the canopy that are at least 2x bigger than the rest of the leaves. And while the smaller older leaves have started to change, these new ones are bright green and soft. Have you ever seen this? Any idea what could be happening? I’m in Carteret Co NC, zone 8. Thanks!!!
Hi, Jim! As always, your content is much appreciated.
Any suggestions for a reliable perennial verbena? I've found Homestead to be unreliable. I'm in the Triad of NC.
What do think is the cause for mushrooms popping up randomly in the yard? I’ll sometimes have mushrooms at the base of a plant…what would cause this?
When is the best time to remove shrub suckers/runners? I'm in PNW Z8b, and my lilac and rugosa roses are suckering like crazy. They're all established plants. Should I get rid of them ASAP or wait until late winter?
I adore your Q&A videos - no one else does them to the level you do - so helpful 😊 I have a fireglow japanese maple that has grown very lovely on its own with minimal pruning but this fall the leader has shot up akwardly from the rest of the tree and now is sprouting off side shoots. So if you can picture a lovely regular tree, a gap, and then a little poof up higher. I'm nervous to prune bc it's the leader stem...what do I do?
I have a Carolina Jasmine thar bloomed this spring, can i prune it now for next spring or should i have pruned right after bloom?
Separating multi-planted shrubs? I have a chamaecyparis pisifera that has been in the ground for 2 years. The nursery put 2 plants in the pot originally and I've tried to prune out one of them but it grows back just as strong! Don't love the 2 leaders look it has. I'm inclined to dig it up this fall and try to separate out the roots. Do you think it will be a butcher job that will do more harm than good? Any tips?
When is the best time to move lantana? I’ve got 4 ms huff that have been in place for 3 years. I want to relocate them but not kill them in the process. How big of a root ball should I get because this thing can grow probably 8x8 but I keep it 4x4 by pruning it 4-5 times a season.
I live in central MS, zone 8. I planted an Autumn Blaze Maple tree in October 2022 that had leaves from top to bottom. In the spring of this year only the bottom half of the tree had leaves. In June I did a scratch test on the top branches and did not find any green on those branches. I made the decision to cut the top of the tree off. The leaves on the bottom half thrived for the most part considering we are in a severe drought. I have been consistently watering it. Do you think this tree has a chance to survive long term, or should I remove it? I am new to your channel and enjoy watching and learning. Thank you.