Southeast Asia (Cambodia, Vietnam) – Trip Announcement
I have always been curious about Southeast Asia. My only exposure so far has been the disturbing nightly news on TV in the late ‘60’s and National Geographic magazine articles. I have wondered how Vietnam has changed from our national foe to a valued trading partner. How do people along...
Yellowjackets – Control
Yellowjackets are extremely aggressive and will attack if their nest is threatened. When stung, an intruder is marked with a special scent that encourages other yellow jackets to attack. As with fire ants, some people can have severe reactions to yellow jacket stings. These insects are actually beneficial because they...
UGA Vegetable Gardening Publications
With food prices high, folks have been thinking about growing some of their own food. Food gardening is not hard and it doesn’t have to take much room in your landscape. You can even do it in containers! These gardening publications are available on the Internet or ask for a...
Timing and Choosing Pre-emergent Weed Preventers, Spring and Fall
Pre-emergents (weed preventers) are applied to the landscape to prevent seeds from germinating. The key is the timing. Pre-emergent herbicides MUST be applied BEFORE summer weeds (crabgrass, etc) seed germinate. In general, to get good summer weed control in Atlanta you should apply a pre-emergent on March 1. For winter...
Walter’s Books Make Great Gifts!
Whether it’s a birthday, anniversary, or Christmas coming up, a gardener in your life would surely appreciate a book that describes exactly how to be successful. Consider giving a signed copy of one of Walter’s books! Click here to go to book sales...
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Butterfly Bush – Invasive or Not
Q: On your website you write that butterfly bush is a good plant to attract butterflies. While that is true, the Georgia Department of Agriculture says butterfly bush is showing signs of becoming invasive. A: I know that other states...
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Southeast Asia (Cambodia, Vietnam) – Trip Announcement
I have always been curious about Southeast Asia. My only exposure so far has been the disturbing nightly news on TV in the late ‘60’s and National Geographic magazine articles. I have wondered how Vietnam has changed from our national...
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Hydrangea – Different Color Flowers
Q: This hydrangea is a volunteer that appeared last spring by our deck on a newly built house where the lot was graded. It bloomed nicely this year but the size and color of the leaves concern me. Why did...
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Clematis – Dermatitis (Skin Rash)
Q: I mowed over this vine a couple of days ago and have broken out in a red itchy rash on my legs and chest. I used a string trimmer there about a month ago and had a horrible burning...
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Figs – How to Know When Ripe
Q: My figs are turning brown. How do I know when they are ripe? A: One way is to look for those that have bird peck holes. They have spent thousands of years contemplating your question, so they are experts!...
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Big Boy vs Better Boy Tomato
Q: What is the difference between Big Boy and Better Boy tomatoes? A: Both are hybrid tomatoes that were developed to perform better than “open pollinated” types. Dr. Oved Shifriss developed ‘Big Boy’ while working for W. Atlee Burpee &...
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Mushroom at Base of Tree
Q: Is this mushroom something to be concerned about? Age of the tree is unknown. It was left when the land was cleared for the house in early 90’s and stands about 12 feet from the house foundation. A: The...
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Yellowjackets – Control
Yellowjackets are extremely aggressive and will attack if their nest is threatened. When stung, an intruder is marked with a special scent that encourages other yellow jackets to attack. As with fire ants, some people can have severe reactions to...
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Repeatedly Planting Tomatoes In The Same Area
Q: I have a small vegetable garden in which I plant tomatoes. I’m concerned about repeatedly planting tomatoes there year after year. The garden isn’t big enough to rotate plants. A: You have a problem faced by many gardeners with...
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How/When To Take Cuttings To Root
Q: How do I take cuttings from a Confederate rose, Hibiscus mutabilis, to root? When is best time? A: I do it in fall so I can give away rooted cuttings in spring but the plant doesn’t much care about...
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Timing Of Aerate, Fertilize, And Apply Weed Control To My Lawn?
Q: Typically I aerate, fertilize, and apply a long-lasting weed control to my lawn. Do you think the effects of each activity would be less than optimal if they are done too close together? A: I think this is fine...
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Controlling Wisteria
Q: Wisteria has covered several trees in my yard. Is there a way to get it under control? A: Wisteria is tough to control by any means. Earth moving machines can do the job quickly but you might lose your...
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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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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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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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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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St. Augustine Grass Seed – Where to Buy
Q: Please tell me where I can buy St. Augustine grass seeds. Our lawn has some now and we like it a lot, but we’re having trouble finding seeds. A: You can’t buy St. Augustinegrass seed. The plant is very...
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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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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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Crapemyrtle – Pruning
One of the most confounding arguments I face is whether and how to prune crapemyrtles. They are mercilessly “murdered” by unaware landscapers and homeowners each winter… yet they still bloom in summer. Some people even believe a crapemyrtle won’t bloom...
Butterfly Bush – Invasive or Not
Q: On your website you write that butterfly bush is a good plant to attract butterflies. While that is true, the Georgia Department of Agriculture says butterfly bush is showing signs of becoming invasive. A: I know that other states...
Southeast Asia (Cambodia, Vietnam) – Trip Announcement
I have always been curious about Southeast Asia. My only exposure so far has been the disturbing nightly news on TV in the late ‘60’s and National Geographic magazine articles. I have wondered how Vietnam has changed from our national...
Hydrangea – Different Color Flowers
Q: This hydrangea is a volunteer that appeared last spring by our deck on a newly built house where the lot was graded. It bloomed nicely this year but the size and color of the leaves concern me. Why did...
Clematis – Dermatitis (Skin Rash)
Q: I mowed over this vine a couple of days ago and have broken out in a red itchy rash on my legs and chest. I used a string trimmer there about a month ago and had a horrible burning...
Figs – How to Know When Ripe
Q: My figs are turning brown. How do I know when they are ripe? A: One way is to look for those that have bird peck holes. They have spent thousands of years contemplating your question, so they are experts!...
Big Boy vs Better Boy Tomato
Q: What is the difference between Big Boy and Better Boy tomatoes? A: Both are hybrid tomatoes that were developed to perform better than “open pollinated” types. Dr. Oved Shifriss developed ‘Big Boy’ while working for W. Atlee Burpee &...
Mushroom at Base of Tree
Q: Is this mushroom something to be concerned about? Age of the tree is unknown. It was left when the land was cleared for the house in early 90’s and stands about 12 feet from the house foundation. A: The...
Yellowjackets – Control
Yellowjackets are extremely aggressive and will attack if their nest is threatened. When stung, an intruder is marked with a special scent that encourages other yellow jackets to attack. As with fire ants, some people can have severe reactions to...
Repeatedly Planting Tomatoes In The Same Area
Q: I have a small vegetable garden in which I plant tomatoes. I’m concerned about repeatedly planting tomatoes there year after year. The garden isn’t big enough to rotate plants. A: You have a problem faced by many gardeners with...
How/When To Take Cuttings To Root
Q: How do I take cuttings from a Confederate rose, Hibiscus mutabilis, to root? When is best time? A: I do it in fall so I can give away rooted cuttings in spring but the plant doesn’t much care about...
Timing Of Aerate, Fertilize, And Apply Weed Control To My Lawn?
Q: Typically I aerate, fertilize, and apply a long-lasting weed control to my lawn. Do you think the effects of each activity would be less than optimal if they are done too close together? A: I think this is fine...
Controlling Wisteria
Q: Wisteria has covered several trees in my yard. Is there a way to get it under control? A: Wisteria is tough to control by any means. Earth moving machines can do the job quickly but you might lose your...
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,...
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....
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...
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...
St. Augustine Grass Seed – Where to Buy
Q: Please tell me where I can buy St. Augustine grass seeds. Our lawn has some now and we like it a lot, but we’re having trouble finding seeds. A: You can’t buy St. Augustinegrass seed. The plant is very...
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...
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...
Crapemyrtle – Pruning
One of the most confounding arguments I face is whether and how to prune crapemyrtles. They are mercilessly “murdered” by unaware landscapers and homeowners each winter… yet they still bloom in summer. Some people even believe a crapemyrtle won’t bloom...
