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Tips Techniques

5 Parts of an Ecosystem Pond

Outdoor home water features work best when 5 elements are present: a mechanical skimmer, gravel, biological filtration, plants, and fish. Tammy Algood visits with Derek Johnson, a master certified aquascape contractor/JVI Secret Gardens to learn all about each element.

Plants that Please

Troy Marden spotlights a whole host of tried and true native plant specimens and proven hybrids. Realistic growth expectations, growing conditions and attributes are discussed for each selection.

Year in the vegetable garden

Annette Shrader has the vegetable garden of her dreams. It is 10,000 square feet and has had a high-yielding spring and summer. Now that it is fall planting time, Annette takes time to look back and share successes, and things learned along the way.

Gardening around Bermuda Grass

Organic farmer Jeff Poppen looks at the origination of Bermuda grass in the United States and its growth characteristics. It is a formidable opponent for garden space. We look at a couple of ways to battle it.

Simple Methods, Big Rewards

Larkspur, lupine, foxglove, poppies, sunflowers - these are but a few of the flowers that Alecia Welbern grows from seed in her home landscape. She shares her tips and tricks with host Troy Marden.

Indigo: Agriculture Research and Production

A goal of Stony Creek Colors is to replace at least 3% of synthetic blue dye with natural indigo produced on Tennessee farms. Currently, TN has the most indigo in research and production than anywhere in the U.S. with all of the biomass coming from within a 60 mile radius of its factory.

Garden Beds or Rows?

Jeff Poppen gives us an overview of the operations of Long Hungry Creek biodynamic farm. He discusses the reasons why he plants some crops in rows, while others he grows in beds.

Terracing to prevent soil erosion

Farmer Jeff Poppen shows us several examples of terracing on his organic farm. All are designed to prevent soil erosion.

Cherry Tree Maintenance

Cherry tree maintenance includes substantial winter pruning, spraying, and ample watering to produce a tasty, plentiful harvest.

Winter Interest Container

Choosing the right type of pot, using really good soil media that will allow for drainage, and a nice collection of evergreen plants all come together for planters that look good now, and in the subsequent seasons too.

Farm Management: Best Practices

Erin's Farm is a first generation family farm growing both Christmas trees, and blueberries. They were recognized by the TN Dept of Agriculture Division of Forestry for Best Management Practices in 2017.

Homemade Drip Irrigation System

A tutorial for a frugal DIY drip irrigation system that is suitable for a concentrated garden area.