(Audio 10/15/07) Gardeners can manipulate the color of their hydrangeas by making an addition to the soil this month. Acid soils produce blue plants and alkaline soils produce pink flowers. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(Audio 10/15/07) Wisteria is an outstanding flowering vine for Louisiana landscapes. It spreads easily, so be sure to keep it under control. A common problem with wisteria is that it can take several years to bloom. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(Audio 10/08/07) Persimmon trees are easy to grow in Louisiana landscapes. This fruit tree produces seedless fruit and doesn't need pollination. The fruit of most varieties must be soft before it can be eaten. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(Audio 10/08/07) Many gardeners move their houseplants outside during the summer. As the weather cools, tropical plants will have to come back indoors. Before making the move, they need to acclimate to low-light conditions. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(Audio 10/08/07) Save the seeds from plants such as annuals and perennials, and don't harvest the seeds too early. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(Audio 10/08/07) Harvest season for strawberries is in the spring, but now is the time to plant them in your garden. Make sure the beds are well-prepared and raised. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(Audio 10/07/08) Sweet peas are outstanding flowering vines. Their color and fragrance make a great addition to our landscape. Sweet peas will bloom in the spring, but now is the time to plant the vines. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(Video 10/01/07) Lycoris radiata goes by a variety of common names: Hurricane lily, spider lily and naked ladies. This plant requires patience because it may take three years to start blooming. (Runtime: 1 minute, 27 seconds)

(Audio 10/01/07) We start thinking of the holidays this time of the year. There are a lot items in nature that can decorate up your home for fall. Look for things such as seed pods, dried flower heads and pine cones. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(Audio 10/01/07) Roses in Louisiana bloom beautifully in October and November. If your roses were pruned back in August or September, there is not much pruning needed now. You will need to deadhead your roses after they fade. This keeps the rose bush looking fresh and attractive. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(Audio 10/01/07) Many great vegetables can be planted this time of the year. Transplants of broccoli, Brussels sprouts and cauliflower are available at local nurseries. Root crops can be direct-seeded into the garden. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(Audio 10/01/07) Gardeners can plant a wide variety of herbs in their gardens this time of the year. A few plants provide a big harvest, so there is no need to plant more than you can use. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(Audio 10/01/07) Brown patch is a fungal infection that affects lawn grasses, especially St. Augustine. It likes cool, mild and damp weather conditions. Watch for discolored areas in the lawn. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(Audio 09/24/07) Garlic is critical to Louisiana cuisine. It is easy to grow, and now is the time to plant it. Choose a well-prepared bed in a sunny area with good drainage. Garlic can be planted through the month of October and into early November. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(Audio 09/24/07) Louisiana irises are dormant during the months of August, September and early October. If you have irises that need to be divided, get that done soon. LSU AgCenter horticulturist Dan Gill explains how. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(Audio 09/24/07) It is still too hot to plant trees, but planting season is right around the corner. Now is a good time to look around for needed shade in your lawn and make plans for fall plantings. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(Video 09/24/07) Mid-to-late September is a great time to plant cole crops into your vegetable garden. Cole crops are the group of vegetables closely related to cabbage. (Runtime: 1 minute, 28 seconds)

(Audio 09/24/07) Azalea lace bugs are small flying insects that live on the underside of the leaves. Small white spots on the leaf indicate an infestation. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(Audio 09/17/07) Louisiana gardeners can compost every bit of organic debris their landscapes create. This includes leaves in the fall and grass clippings in the summer. Gardeners can create their own compost pile using simple materials. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(Audio 09/17/07) Many gardeners move container plants outside for the summer. After a summer of abundant growth outdoors, plants may have outgrown their containers. Look for roots growing out of drainage holes or showing up on the soil. These plants will benefit from being repotted into a larger container. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(Audio 09/17/07) Caladiums are a wonderful shade-tolerant summer bedding plant. They are reaching the end of their growing season, and gardeners should dig up the tubers before all the foliage falls off. The tubers need to be dried and stored in paper bags or cardboard boxes inside during the winter. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(Audio 09/17/07) Many types of azaleas will bloom in late summer and fall. Encore azaleas were bred in Louisiana, are well-adapted to our growing conditions and bloom without fail in the fall. This is a good time to plant them into your landscape, and you can pick out your plants while they are in bloom. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(Audio 09/17/07) September and October are transitional times in Louisiana landscapes. Days become milder, and summer rain showers began to slow down. This means watering will likely be necessary. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(Video 09/17/07) Blue flowers are relatively rare in the plant world. That’s why plumbago's blue flowers are so precious. Plumbago is an outstanding workhorse in the summer landscape. It’s actually a shrubby-looking plant, but when you examine at the stems, you’ll see they’re very green and herbaceous. (Runtime: 1 minutre, 30 seconds)

(Audio 09/10/07) Mulches are a valuable gardening tool for reducing weeds in beds. It is important to remember that mulch must be thick to work properly. If your mulch is looking thin, add another layer on top of the existing mulch. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(Audio 09/10/07) In September, it is still pretty hot. Combining that with dry weather can cause an increase in chinch bug activity. These insects attack lawn grasses and prefer St. Augustine grass. They create circular brown areas and will kill the grass where they feed. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(Audio 09/10/07) As we move into September, we must be careful about what we prune in our landscapes. Winter and spring-flowering shrubs have set their flower buds, so pruning will remove these flowers. Also, pruning too late can keep shrubs or tree branches from hardening off before winter. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(Audio 09/10/07) Vegetable and flower beds are active parts of our landscape. Right now, gardeners may need to do some bed preparation before planting fall crops. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(Audio 09/10/07) The weather can remain quite warm throughout September, but we are reaching the end of the growing period. This means you have to be careful with late-season fertilizer applications. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(Audio 09/03/07) Pecan trees tend to "alternate bear," which means they will produce a large crop one year followed by a small crop or no crop the next year. A large crop can lead to breaking branches because of pecan's brittle wood. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(Audio 09/03/07) Green onions are an important part of Louisiana cuisine. This is a great time of the year to plant them. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(Audio 09/03/07) A variety of fungal organisms live and grow in our lawns. Some are relatively harmless. Others can be very damaging and cause problems in hot, dry weather. Fungicides can prevent some of this damage from occurring. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(Audio 09/03/07) Mature trees are a valuable part of the home landscape. When building on a lot with existing trees, make plans to keep them from being damaged by construction. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(Audio 09/03/07) A variety of both warm-season and cool-season vegetables can be planted in September. Transplants of tomatoes and bell peppers can be planted early in the month. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(Video 09/10/07) You might have noticed tree leaves that look diseased or sickly recently. What’s the problem and what should you do? LSU AgCenter horticulturist Dan Gill explains how to handle the situation in this segment of Get it Growing. (Runtime: 1 minute, 27 seconds)

(Video 09/03/07) Many Louisiana gardeners like to grow culinary herbs. Mexican oregano is a good herb for our area. It generally grows in the drier climate of south Texas and northern mexico, but does remarkably well in Louisiana. Make sure this plant gets very good drainage. (Runtime: 1 minute, 31 seconds)

(Audio 08/27/07) Pruning Gingers and cannas can be tricky. Once a shoot has flowered it will not flower again. Gardeners can prune these shoots back down to the ground and make room for new shoots that will sprout up later. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(Video 08/27/07) Some plants are great for attracting beautiful insects – like butterflies. In this Get It Growing segment, LSU AgCenter horticulturist Dan Gill introduces you to a plant that not only attracts Monarch butterflies but also serves as a type of nursery for their young. (Runtime: 1 minute, 30 seconds)

(Audio 08/27/07) The young transplants gardeners buy at local nurseries have been raised under perfect conditions in greenhouses. As a result, transplants may need to be hardened off first before being planted in the garden.(Runtime: 60 seconds)

(Audio 08/27/07) Caterpillars are one of the leading pests that attack plants in our landscapes. Their damage usually can be tolerated, but populations of these pests can be high at the end of summer. Monitor their damage and apply pesticides if necessary. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(Audio 08/27/07) The end of August or the first week of September is the last time this year to apply nitrogen fertilizer to your lawn. You do not want to encourage vigorous growth into the fall, because that makes the grass less hardy going into the winter. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(Audio 08/27/07) Roses have their share of problems during the summer, but if we wait through it, we can expect a good blooming season in the fall. Evaluate your roses now. Prune them, if they need it, to prepare them for fall blooming. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(Video 08/20/07) It’s been extremely hot lately, making it uncomfortable to go outside and work in the garden. The good news is that it feels a little better in the shade. With that in mind, LSU AgCenter horticulturist Dan Gill introduces you to a beautiful shade-loving plant. (Runtime: 1 minute, 27 seconds)

(Audio 08/20/07) Heat stress is terrible this time of the year. The weather is just as hard on our plants as it is on us, so we should avoid planting trees and shrubs now. Wait until the weather cools down in October before trying to plant. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(Audio 08/20/07) Part of the pruning is to remove unattractive faded fronds from the lower part of the palm's head. This becomes more difficult as the palm grows taller. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(Audio 08/20/07) This time of the year, gardeners tend to work in the early morning or early evening hours when mosquitoes are most active. Gardeners should protect themselves with mosquito repellant or clothing. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(Audio 08/20/07) Bagging grass clippings is not necessary if you mow frequently. If you don't, however, bagging the clippings can keep your yard healthy and attractive. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(Audio 08/20/07) Aquatic gardens are popular in Louisiana landscapes. But gardeners can have problems keeping their ponds looking healthy. One striking issue is green water. A balanced ecosystem can stop green water from developing. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(Audio 08/13/07) We start looking for pears to ripen on our trees in August. They will start to change color, with a red blush appearing on the fruit. You also might notice the fruit soften or drop out of the tree. If that happens before they're ripe, you can ripen them off the tree for fresh eating. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(Audio 08/13/07) Many gardeners grow plants in containers. Container plants growing outdoors may need to be repotted after vigorous growth during the summer. You can see wilting and stunted growth on a plant that has outgrown its container. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(Audio 08/13/07) When it's hot outside, gardeners need to look for jobs that can be done in the shade. Ferns work great in shady areas, and this time of the year they may have unattractive fronds that need tending. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(Audio 08/13/07) The Louisiana Iris becomes dormant in the months of August and September. Then they begin active growth again in October. That means now is a great time to divide and transplant these plants. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(Audio 08/12/07) Louisiana gardeners can plant milkweed or butterfly weed for migrating monarch butterflies. Monarchs lay eggs on the butterfly weed. Although these plants may have other insect problems, remember that using insecticides on them will harm the butterflies. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(Video 08/13/07) Despite the intense heat this time of the year, you can still add warm-season bedding plants to your landscape to provide that great color we all crave. Stop by your local nursery or garden center, and you’ll find they have a wide selection of wonderful plants in just about every height and color you can imagine. (Runtime: 1 minute, 33 seconds)

(Audio 08/06/07) In these hot days of late summer our plants dry out quickly. Watering correctly will keep plants healthy. Mulching plants also helps conserve water, but overwatering can cause root rot. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(Audio 08/06/07) Coleus is a great bedding plant. It has beautiful foliage in a variety of colors. Coleus can be grown in the sun or the shade, but most prefer some shade. Just make sure you choose a variety suitable for the sunlight situation your coleus plants will be growing in. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(Audio 08/06/07) Two of the most difficult insects to deal with in the home landscape are spider mites and white flies. Spider mites are tiny and difficult to see. White flies are small and white, and the young white flies are attached to the underside of the leaves they infest. Both of these insects feed on the sap of plants. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(Video 08/06/07) Want a flower the size of a dinner plate that will bloom beautifully all summer long? In this week’s Get It Growing segment, LSU AgCenter horticulturist Dan Gill introduces you to some popular hibiscus varieties you can find at your local nursery this time of year. (Runtime: 1 minute, 32 seconds)

(Audio 07/30/07) Louisiana vegetable gardeners can plant a wonderful crop of fall tomatoes. We need to get the transplants planted this month in North Louisiana. South Louisiana gardeners can wait until September to plant. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(Audio 07/30/07) Vegetables we plant in August reflect the fact that summer will end soon. Crops like broccoli, cauliflower and kohlrabi can be seeded now. There also are other cool-season vegetables you can plant into your garden. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(Audio 07/30/07) During hot summer days, especially if the weather is dry, chinch bugs can proliferate in area lawns and cause plenty of damage. Symptoms include patches of grass that are brown and dead. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(Audio 07/30/07) Palms can be planted all over the state. They need to be planted during warm weather, and August is the last month to plant them. Be sure to plant palms that are hardy enough for the area you live in. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(Audio 07/30/07) Louisiana has a long summer growing season. The bedding plants we planted in April and May have been growing for a long time and may be tall and leggy at this point. It is too early to pull them out and plant cool-season bedding plants, but you can cut back these plants.(Runtime: 60 seconds)

(Video 07/30/07) Louisiana gardeners love two things in their landscapes – great fragrances and wonderful tropical plants. The Harlequin Glory Bower or “Clerodendrum tricotomum” offers both of those. (Runtime: 1 minute, 28 seconds)

(Video 07/23/07) Ever wonder why crape myrtles seem to always mist on your head? Well, it’s not water. The moisture actually is coming from aphids. In this week’s Get It Growing segment, LSU AgCenter horticulturist Dan Gill shows you how to control aphids on your crape myrtles. (Runtime: 1 minute, 31 seconds)

(Audio 07/23/07) Basil is a heat-tolerant herb that grows well in Louisiana during the summer. You can find basil plants at your local nursery to plant into your garden. If you already have some growing, harvest regularly. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(Audio 07/23/07) Cutting flowers from the garden is a great way to bring the outdoors in. Cut flowers in the late afternoon, cutting them on a slant. Put them in a bucket of water until you are ready to arrange them. Keep the arrangement away from direct sunlight and heat. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(Audio 07/23/07) Gardenias and hydrangeas are great summer-blooming shrubs. Since they must be pruned before they set their flower buds, this is the best time to prune them. If you wait too late to do this task, you may take off some of the plant's future flowers. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(Audio 07/23/07) Blackberries can be easy to grow and productive in the home garden. This is a good time to prune your blackberry plants. The canes that produced fruit this summer can be cut back. But leave the new canes alone. They will produce for you next year. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(Audio 07/23/07) July generally is fig month in Louisiana -- although the age of the tree or weather conditions can affect fig production. Once picked figs won't keep long, so enjoy them right away or use them in preserves. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(Audio 07/16/07) Annual bedding plants can suffer during the heat of summer. Keep in mind that watering too often won't help the plant and could encourage root rot. Watering deeply and thoroughly two or three times a week should do the job. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(Audio 07/16/07) Louisiana gardeners grow many plants in containers. Flower pots on wooden decks or porches could damage the surface as a result of water collecting on the wood. The best solution is to boost the pots up with pot feet or bricks. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(Audio 07/16/07) Weeding can be a constant chore for gardeners. Mulching and using herbicides can help home gardeners face such chores less often. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(Video 07/16/07) You won’t find leopard plants growing in African savannahs. But you can find them growing in Louisiana landscapes. LSU AgCenter horticulturist Dan Gill talks about the ligularia in this Get It Growing edition. (Runtime: 1 minute, 28 seconds)

(Audio 07/16/07) Shade trees have many benefits in the home landscape, but there is one downside. As these trees grow larger, the grass beneath them can suffer. Ground covers can tolerate the shade, so shade-loving ground covers like monkey grass and liriope are good choices under large trees. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(Audio 07/16/07) The leaf miner is a common pest of ornamentals and vegetables. The larvae of leaf miners cause the damage to the plants. These pests feed on cells within the layers of the leaf, making it difficult to control them. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(Audio 07/09/07) Energy bills can spike during the summer months. Planting shade trees in appropriate places in your yard can help keep cooling costs down. While this is not the right time to plant trees, it is a good time to evaluate your shade needs. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(Audio 07/09/07) May through June is the peak harvest time for most tomatoes in Louisiana gardens. You may still have tomato flowers now, but with the intense heat of mid-summer, those flowers are less likely to set fruit. On the other hand, Roma tomatoes and other heat-tolerant tomatoes do well in the summertime. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(Audio 07/09/07) Webworms are small caterpillars that feed on the foliage of a variety of trees. They get their name because they create web-like structures at the end of branches -- enclosing the foliage. They feed on the foliage, but the damage they do generally is minimal. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(Audio 07/09/07) This is our lawn-care season. Mowing frequently and regularly will help keep your lawn healthy. Other lawn chores include fertilizing, keeping mower blades sharpened and watering regularly, if necessary. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(Audio 07/09/07) Despite the heat, July can be an active time in the vegetable garden. We can remove some of the plants that we planted in the spring and replace them with heat-tolerant vegetables such as cucumbers and okra. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(Video 07/09/07) One of the most common insect pests that attack trees in Louisiana during the summer are caterpillars called webworms. These caterpillars occur all through the summer, and they form webs at the ends of the branches, but their actual damage to trees is relatively minor. (Runtime: 1 minute, 25 seconds)

(Audio 07/02/07) Louisiana gardeners grow many plants in containers. This time of the year these plants need plenty of watering, especially if they are in a sunny location. Repotting plants into larger containers can help you cut down on the amount of watering you need to do. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(Audio 07/02/07) There are many beautiful ornamental grasses that can be used as decorative borders. They are drought tolerant and have good insect and disease resistance. Gardeners can find a wide variety of ornamental grasses at gardening centers -- with at least one that will fill their needs. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(Audio 07/02/07) Palm trees can be grown all over Louisiana. If you want to add a palm to your landscape, now is the time to plant them. Homeowners in North Louisiana should choose hardy palms for their climate. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(Audio 07/02/07) The bald cypress is Louisiana's state tree. It makes a great addition to the landscape, but gardeners can have a problem with cypress knees. LSU AgCenter horticulturist Dan Gill explains how to remove knees that might pop up. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(Audio 07/02/07) Hydrangeas and gardenias bloom in the early summer. Although most of the summer-flowering shrubs we grow in our landscapes bloom on new growth, hydrangeas and gardenias set their flower buds in late summer. When the plants finish flowering, prune them quickly so as not to cut off next year's flower buds. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(Video 07/02/07) Container gardens full of beautiful plants are all the rage these days. When using an outdoor container, make sure it’s nice and large to fit into the scale of the outdoors. When choosing the plants, make sure they look good together. (Runtime: 1 minute, 44 seconds)

(Video 06/25/07) Many gardeners are painting their summer landscapes with the sweeping colors of beautiful flowers. Gardeners can use a perennial flowering plant that’s not only colorful but also easy to grow in sun or shade – and resistant to major diseases and insects. (Runtime: 1 minute, 33 seconds)

(Audio 06/25/07) Despite the intense heat of summer, you can continue to plant colorful bedding plants to brighten your summer beds. Be sure to keep them well watered when they are newly planted. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(Audio 06/25/07) Gladiolas bulbs are planted in Louisiana landscapes to provide beautiful spikes of flowers in many colors. Once a gladiola finishes blooming, you should cut off the faded flower but leave all the foliage intact so it can provide food for the bulb. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(Audio 06/25/07) Fertilizers are products that add essential minerals and nutrients to the soil. Soluble fertilizers are dissolved in water and applied as a liquid to plants. They provide immediate nutrients to plants, but they do have drawbacks. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(Audio 06/25/07) Tarragon is an herb that is popular in poultry dishes. French tarragon is the classic variety, but it won't grow in Louisiana during the summer. Cooks and gardeners can substitute Mexican tarragon to overcome that obstacle. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(Audio 06/25/07) Weeding work is never done, but there are ways to suppress weeds. Mulch is one way to keep weeds down. A pre-emergence herbicide also can prevent weeds from taking over beds. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(Audio 06/18/07) Summer is an excellent time to add plants to an aquatic garden. Plants in good-sized pots can simply be placed into the pond. There are no holes to dig or beds to prepare. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(Audio 06/18/07) Zinnias provide bright colors in the garden and make great cut flowers. Although many zinnias perform poorly during the summer months, Profusion zinnias can stand up to Louisiana's heat. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(Audio 06/18/07) During the intense heat of summer rose blooms are fewer, smaller and poorer in quality. Heat stress causes the drop in production. Even though it may seem like roses could use fertilizer, now is not the time to apply fertilizer to your roses. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(Audio 06/18/07) Petunias are a popular summer bedding plant up north, but these plants generally tend to fade in Louisiana's summer heat. Wave petunias, however, will tolerate more heat than most varieties. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(Audio 06/18/07) High temperatures and high humidity can create a dangerous heat index. It's important to take care of yourself when you garden this time of the year. Garden early in the morning or late in the evening and follow the shade around. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(Video 06/18/07) The Elaeagnus plant, also known as the Gumi, provides delicious fruit for the making of jelly. But the plant also can be used to create an ex