(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) 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) 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) 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)

(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)

(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)

(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 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) 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 09/24/07) 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)

(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 09/03/07) 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 09/10/07) 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 09/17/07) 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)

(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) 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 09/10/07) 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) 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)

(For Release On Or After 10/06/06) Caladiums are among the most reliable summer bedding plants for providing color in shady areas. They stay attractive despite the intense heat of summer and are rarely bothered by insects or disease. By the end of September or beginning of October, however, they reach the end of their growing season and begin to decline in appearance.

(For Release On Or After 10/13/06) I’m not a big fan of bringing in new soil and replacing the original soil in a garden bed. There are times, however, when it is necessary to purchase additional soil for the garden – especially when creating new raised beds or raising the grade of existing ones.

(For Release On Or After 10/27/06) Gardeners are often advised that the key to gardening success is planting the right plant in the right place. Although this sounds relatively simple, a lot goes into the decision of what plants should be used and where they should be planted in the landscape.

(For Release On Or After 10/20/06) When I was a child my family lived in Germany for a time. I remember attending the annual Oktoberfest in Munich, where thinly-sliced white radishes were served with salt as a nibbler to accompany the famed draft beer. Although I couldn’t appreciate the beer at that age, I loved the radishes. I also think of radishes in October for another reason, because this is a great time to plant them in your garden, and there are no vegetables easier to grow.

(Distributed 11/30/05) Falling leaves are a sign of the season, but if you leave those leaves on your lawn, they can cause damage. Dan talks about ways to remove leaves from your lawn.