On this week’s “Gardening in
Georgia,” host Walter Reeves shows how to dig, separate and
replant irises and takes time to show some of his favorite “toys”
— digging tools.

The show will be aired on Wednesday, July 18, at 7:30 p.m. on
Georgia Public Television.
If you miss that show, it will be rebroadcast on Saturday, July
21, at 12:30 p.m.

Reeves shows how simple it is to lift the clump of irises with a
spading fork, then slice the roots apart to leave a healthy fan
of leaves on each section.

Favorite New ‘Toy’

He uses the opportunity, too, to show one of his new “toys,” a
U-Bar digger from Lee Valley Tools. As he works,
he describes the flowers of different irises: bearded, Dutch,
Japanese and others. He finishes his job by replanting the
divided irises in a well-drained bed that gets full sun.

Reeves demonstrates other digging tools, too, including the
round-point flat and trenching shovel, spading fork and others.
And he reveals how to choose the best tool for the job at
hand.

Guest Dan Suiter, an entomologist with the University of Georgia
College of
Agricultural & Environmental Sciences, describes the life
cycle of the smoky brown cockroach (Periplaneta
fuliginosa). It often lives in tree hollows in your
landscape. Suiter shows Reeves how to use a gel bait to control
these nasty, large pests.

Sack Lunches in Trees

UGA entomologist Beverly Sparks shows that the spindle-shaped
sacks hanging on your trees probably contain bagworms
(Thyridopteryx ephemeraeformis). These caterpillars
continuously build the bag, using it for shelter as they move
about the plant, stripping it of its leaves.

Looking for a low-maintenance annual that’s a nonstop bloomer for
the landscape, planter or hanging basket? The New Wonder Blue Fan
Flower (Scaevola aemula ‘New Wonder’) may be the answer.
UGA horticulturist Jim Midcap describes this 1997 Georgia
Gold Medal Winner.

“Gardening in Georgia” airs every Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. and
Saturday at 12:30 p.m. on GPTV. The show is produced specifically
for Georgia gardeners by the UGA CAES and GPTV. To learn more,
visit the show’s Web site.