Rose – Black Spot Control
I have never found a rose that was one hundred percent resistant to black spot, the most common rose disease. The tell-tale yellow leaves adorn roses throughout Atlanta to one extent or another. The best way to avoid black spot is to plant disease-resistant roses. Earth-kind(tm) roses, promoted by...
Azalea and Camellia – Leaf Gall
Q: The leaves on the ends of some of my camellia branches are swollen and thicker than the rest of the leaves. They are also lighter green. I’ve seen this on azaleas but not on camellias. Is it the same thing? A: It is indeed the same disease: camellia (or...
Diagnosing (Identifying) Holes in the Yard
Sometimes many heads are better than one when it comes to solving a problem. Wade Hutcheson, my Extension colleague in Spalding county, gets plenty of calls from the citizens of his area asking his help in identifying various holes in their landscapes. Wade is certainly familiar with several of the...
Weeds – Identification with Pictures
Weed control in the landscape is a tough business. You have to know a lot about the weed in question just to get started! As in most situations, a picture is worth a thousand words. Go through the sites below, identify your weed, then choose your method of weed control....
I’m retiring from radio (mostly)
January 4, 2020 Three months ago somebody lightheartedly asked me “When are you ever going to retire from radio” I have been asked this many times before. You know that I already retired once from the University of GA after 30 years there. And I’ve always said “Why would I...
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Onions don’t get bigger, planted too late
Q: I have been growing onions for years, always with poor results. The onions never grow large; they barely get larger than the size originally planted. I put them in anywhere between January and March. I’ve tried Yellow Granex, Burgundy...
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Daylily thrips identification and control
Q: I have discovered these tiny critters all over my gardenia bush, only in the flowers from what I can see, as well as in my gladiolus. What are these and how can I get rid of them? A: It’s...
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Gum oozing from cherry trunk – Gummosis
Q: I noticed this gelatinous mass on the trunk of my six-year-old cherry tree. Can you tell me what the fungus is? A: Your actual condition is called gummosis, which is most often caused by stress. From your photo I...
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Brown wormy things hanging from pecan branch
Q: We have a ton of these little things falling off our pecan trees this year. More than I’ve seen in the last six years. Does it mean anything? A: It means your pecan tree wants to have sex! The...
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Green bumps on rudbeckia are rudbeckia psyllid
Q: These little light green bumps surrounded by a black spot showed up on my black eyed Susan‘s almost overnight. They are throughout the patch on many different leaves. Is this a bug or is this a fungus? A: Widely-knowledgeable...
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Crapemyrtle bark accidentally peeled off
Q: My two boys and their friends were climbing in my 20 ft. tall crepemyrtle and decided it would be neat to peel off the bark. I don’t like the new look and I’m wondering if it will die. A:...
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Cottony taxus scale on yew
Q: I did a spring trim of my Scott Wallace yews and found a surprise under the needles. What is it and how do I deal with it? A: This is cottony taxus scale, aka cottony camellia scale. The insects...
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Paspalum grass for lawn
Q: I saw that Truist Park uses paspalum grass. Our zoysia lawn struggles in an area shaded by some oak trees. Would paspalum have more success? A: Paspalum grass can look very good as a turfgrass but requires more maintenance...
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Rose mosaic virus
Q: One of my roses looks sick. Can you identify and let me know the remedy? A: This is rose mosaic virus.. Like human viruses, there is no cure for plant diseases caused by a virus. The major source of...
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Sugar snap pea leaves have silver splotches
Q: We are growing sugar snap peas for the first time. I can’t tell if this is normal leaf coloration or if it’s powdery mildew. A: I think this is the normal silver splotching sweet peas have. It’s similar to...
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Iris Rust Identification and Control
Q: My iris leaves have distinct yellow streaks. The blooms coming up are healthy. A: This is iris rust. Rust is a common problem on iris. Dew, rain, fog, high humidity and overhead watering all encourage the development of iris...
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Pimento pepper history in Georgia
Q: I read that pimento peppers saved Georgia farmers from the boll weevil and that many farms were located near Griffin. Our state was once the “Pimento Pepper Capitol of the World”! Why does no one grow them anymore? A:...
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Diagnosing (Identifying) Holes in the Yard
Sometimes many heads are better than one when it comes to solving a problem. Wade Hutcheson, my Extension colleague in Spalding county, gets plenty of calls from the citizens of his area asking his help in identifying various holes in...
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Weeds – Identification with Pictures
Weed control in the landscape is a tough business. You have to know a lot about the weed in question just to get started! As in most situations, a picture is worth a thousand words. Go through the sites below,...
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Timing Spring Pre-emergent Herbicide Application on Lawn
One of the sourest phrases that can be directed at a child or adult is “I told you so!” Whether you touch a hot match, leave tools out in the rain, or lift cinder blocks all afternoon, someone is usually...
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Bermuda – Weed Control
BASIC INFORMATION: Weed Identification Pictures General Turf and Weed Info Lawn Care Calendars THREE METHODS There are three primary methods of controlling weeds. Any one method, when used alone, will not usually control all of your weeds. To consistently control...
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Bermuda Grass – Disease – Brown Patch
Brown patch is most prevalent on bermudagrass which has been heavily fertilized when night temperatures are above 68 degrees and day temperature are above 80 degrees. Dead patches of grass may start small but can grow and join together to...
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Brown Patch – Diagnosing
You have brown patches of dead grass in your lawn. Is it the common lawn disease ‘brown patch’ or is it something else? The answer is important: if it is brown patch you probably need to spray with a fungicide....
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Lawn – Growing in Shade
OK. I admit it. I have given up. I came to the conclusion that grass just would not grow in the corner of my lawn near the ornamental cherry trees. The shade there is so dense that my grass, no...
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Lawn – Leveling
A new home in my neighborhood had bermudagrass sod planted in March. By May, one area was a perfect checkerboard of straight lines, composed of weedy plants, surrounding the individual squares of sod. Evidently the sod installers were in such...
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Lawn – Choosing the Best Grass
The first and most important question to ask is how much sun will be available to the grass. It is much better to use a grass that will grow in the conditions available rather than fighting the environment year after...
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Fescue Planting – 1-2-3
September – October is the BEST time to plant a fescue lawn but March -April is also a possibility. I have tips on planting a new lawn or an existing lawn, whether with seed or sod. I also cover what...
Onions don’t get bigger, planted too late
Q: I have been growing onions for years, always with poor results. The onions never grow large; they barely get larger than the size originally planted. I put them in anywhere between January and March. I’ve tried Yellow Granex, Burgundy...
Daylily thrips identification and control
Q: I have discovered these tiny critters all over my gardenia bush, only in the flowers from what I can see, as well as in my gladiolus. What are these and how can I get rid of them? A: It’s...
Gum oozing from cherry trunk – Gummosis
Q: I noticed this gelatinous mass on the trunk of my six-year-old cherry tree. Can you tell me what the fungus is? A: Your actual condition is called gummosis, which is most often caused by stress. From your photo I...
Brown wormy things hanging from pecan branch
Q: We have a ton of these little things falling off our pecan trees this year. More than I’ve seen in the last six years. Does it mean anything? A: It means your pecan tree wants to have sex! The...
Green bumps on rudbeckia are rudbeckia psyllid
Q: These little light green bumps surrounded by a black spot showed up on my black eyed Susan‘s almost overnight. They are throughout the patch on many different leaves. Is this a bug or is this a fungus? A: Widely-knowledgeable...
Crapemyrtle bark accidentally peeled off
Q: My two boys and their friends were climbing in my 20 ft. tall crepemyrtle and decided it would be neat to peel off the bark. I don’t like the new look and I’m wondering if it will die. A:...
Cottony taxus scale on yew
Q: I did a spring trim of my Scott Wallace yews and found a surprise under the needles. What is it and how do I deal with it? A: This is cottony taxus scale, aka cottony camellia scale. The insects...
Paspalum grass for lawn
Q: I saw that Truist Park uses paspalum grass. Our zoysia lawn struggles in an area shaded by some oak trees. Would paspalum have more success? A: Paspalum grass can look very good as a turfgrass but requires more maintenance...
Rose mosaic virus
Q: One of my roses looks sick. Can you identify and let me know the remedy? A: This is rose mosaic virus.. Like human viruses, there is no cure for plant diseases caused by a virus. The major source of...
Sugar snap pea leaves have silver splotches
Q: We are growing sugar snap peas for the first time. I can’t tell if this is normal leaf coloration or if it’s powdery mildew. A: I think this is the normal silver splotching sweet peas have. It’s similar to...
Iris Rust Identification and Control
Q: My iris leaves have distinct yellow streaks. The blooms coming up are healthy. A: This is iris rust. Rust is a common problem on iris. Dew, rain, fog, high humidity and overhead watering all encourage the development of iris...
Pimento pepper history in Georgia
Q: I read that pimento peppers saved Georgia farmers from the boll weevil and that many farms were located near Griffin. Our state was once the “Pimento Pepper Capitol of the World”! Why does no one grow them anymore? A:...
Diagnosing (Identifying) Holes in the Yard
Sometimes many heads are better than one when it comes to solving a problem. Wade Hutcheson, my Extension colleague in Spalding county, gets plenty of calls from the citizens of his area asking his help in identifying various holes in...
Weeds – Identification with Pictures
Weed control in the landscape is a tough business. You have to know a lot about the weed in question just to get started! As in most situations, a picture is worth a thousand words. Go through the sites below,...
Timing Spring Pre-emergent Herbicide Application on Lawn
One of the sourest phrases that can be directed at a child or adult is “I told you so!” Whether you touch a hot match, leave tools out in the rain, or lift cinder blocks all afternoon, someone is usually...
Bermuda – Weed Control
BASIC INFORMATION: Weed Identification Pictures General Turf and Weed Info Lawn Care Calendars THREE METHODS There are three primary methods of controlling weeds. Any one method, when used alone, will not usually control all of your weeds. To consistently control...
Bermuda Grass – Disease – Brown Patch
Brown patch is most prevalent on bermudagrass which has been heavily fertilized when night temperatures are above 68 degrees and day temperature are above 80 degrees. Dead patches of grass may start small but can grow and join together to...
Brown Patch – Diagnosing
You have brown patches of dead grass in your lawn. Is it the common lawn disease ‘brown patch’ or is it something else? The answer is important: if it is brown patch you probably need to spray with a fungicide....
Lawn – Growing in Shade
OK. I admit it. I have given up. I came to the conclusion that grass just would not grow in the corner of my lawn near the ornamental cherry trees. The shade there is so dense that my grass, no...
Lawn – Leveling
A new home in my neighborhood had bermudagrass sod planted in March. By May, one area was a perfect checkerboard of straight lines, composed of weedy plants, surrounding the individual squares of sod. Evidently the sod installers were in such...
Lawn – Choosing the Best Grass
The first and most important question to ask is how much sun will be available to the grass. It is much better to use a grass that will grow in the conditions available rather than fighting the environment year after...
Fescue Planting – 1-2-3
September – October is the BEST time to plant a fescue lawn but March -April is also a possibility. I have tips on planting a new lawn or an existing lawn, whether with seed or sod. I also cover what...
