Plants for Pollinators
Many landscape plants depend on bees and other insects to move pollen from flower to flower. The insects don’t realize they are pollinating the plants they visit – they’re just looking for nectar in the flowers. You can help the flowering plants in your neighborhood by planting a pollinator-friendly flower...
Shrub – Pruning Calendar
The Home & Garden section of the Atlanta Journal and Constitution published a very nice pruning calendar several years ago. When viewed on a sheet of newsprint, it was gorgeous. When reduced to fit onto a sheet of typing paper it was impossible to read. I imagine you didn’t keep...
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 unless it is severely pruned. Crapemyrtles do not HAVE TO...
Fescue Planting – 1-2-3
September – October is the BEST time to plant a fescue lawn. I have tips on planting a new lawn or an existing lawn, whether with seed or sod. I also cover what kind of fescue is best. It is not as important as you think it is, but everyone’s...
Venomous (Poisonous) Caterpillars – Photos
Several kinds of venomous caterpillars are commonly seen in late summer – early fall. They are usually inconspicuous, so when one is encountered it’s “OUCH – what stung me???!!“. Below are photos of those you might find in the Southeast. Because they are so uncommon and because they feed on...
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Plants With the Name “Walter”
Q: I’m looking for a plant with the name “Walter” to plant in my garden to honor my great-grandfather. Any suggestions? A: I have an evergreen Walter viburnum, Viburnum obovatum, and a Walter dogwood, Cornus walteri, in my landscape. The...
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Silver Maple Tree – Can We Cut Roots To Ground Level
Q: We have a silver maple tree with roots two inches above ground. Would it hurt the tree to cut them to ground level using a draw knife and then cover with soil and grass? A: Slicing into the roots...
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Will Waterfall Japanese Maple Do Well In Zone 7b?
Q: Will Waterfall Japanese maple do well in Zone 7b? A: It should grow perfectly fine, although 7b is the warmer edge of this tree’s range. I would plant it in a spot that gets sunshine until early afternoon and...
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Japanese Maple – How Big Should Planter Be
Q: I bought a Japanese maple and I’d like to put it in a planter since I might sell my home in a few years. How big should it be? A: I think a planter comparable to the size of...
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Topped My Cryptomeria – Will It Get Its Shape Back
Q: My tree company misunderstood my instructions and topped my cryptomeria. Now it looks silly. Will it eventually get its shape back? A: Can you somehow reach the top of the tree? If there is a clean cut above a...
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Rose Rosette Disease – Will It Spread To Other Plants
Q: I was dismayed to discover this morning that three of my rose buses have Rose Rosette disease. The symptoms couldn’t be any clearer – the rose bushes have the telltale excessive thorns, the witch’s broom leaves, & the buds...
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Sorghum And Sweet Corn – Can I Plant Them Together?
Q: Could I plant sorghum in the same area as sweet corn without ruining the corn? A: Though the plants are somewhat similar in appearance, there is no problem planting them together. On the other hand, there could be a...
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Zoysia – When To Cut It
Q: My zoysia sod was put down around the first of March. It has mostly greened up and growing. Do I need to cut it now or wait? A: If the grass is more than two inches high then set...
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Continuous-Feed Fertilizer – Should I Plan A Fall Feeding
Q: The label on my continuous-feed fertilizer says to feed herbs every three months. I’ve done so once and plan to repeat in July. Should I plan on a fall feeding or not? A: You have good gardening instincts! Despite...
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Where Are The June Bugs?
Q: I’m wondering where the June bugs went? We always had so many but over the last ten years they’ve disappeared. I don’t miss them, just curious about what happened to them. A: I have come to wonder the same...
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Peonies – Why Are They Not Doing Well This Year?
Q: Some of us have been comparing notes online and it seems that our peonies are not doing well this year. The plants are not very vigorous and have not produced many blooms. Some think it is because of the...
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Night Blooming Cereus – What To Do With Rootlets
Q: Last year I was given a night blooming cereus. I have to bring it inside for the winter. This year it is sending out long, hairy shoots that I believe are rootlets looking for places to anchor. Since I...
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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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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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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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Lawn – Timing Spring Pre-emergent Herbicide Application
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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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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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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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...
Plants With the Name “Walter”
Q: I’m looking for a plant with the name “Walter” to plant in my garden to honor my great-grandfather. Any suggestions? A: I have an evergreen Walter viburnum, Viburnum obovatum, and a Walter dogwood, Cornus walteri, in my landscape. The...
Silver Maple Tree – Can We Cut Roots To Ground Level
Q: We have a silver maple tree with roots two inches above ground. Would it hurt the tree to cut them to ground level using a draw knife and then cover with soil and grass? A: Slicing into the roots...
Will Waterfall Japanese Maple Do Well In Zone 7b?
Q: Will Waterfall Japanese maple do well in Zone 7b? A: It should grow perfectly fine, although 7b is the warmer edge of this tree’s range. I would plant it in a spot that gets sunshine until early afternoon and...
Japanese Maple – How Big Should Planter Be
Q: I bought a Japanese maple and I’d like to put it in a planter since I might sell my home in a few years. How big should it be? A: I think a planter comparable to the size of...
Topped My Cryptomeria – Will It Get Its Shape Back
Q: My tree company misunderstood my instructions and topped my cryptomeria. Now it looks silly. Will it eventually get its shape back? A: Can you somehow reach the top of the tree? If there is a clean cut above a...
Rose Rosette Disease – Will It Spread To Other Plants
Q: I was dismayed to discover this morning that three of my rose buses have Rose Rosette disease. The symptoms couldn’t be any clearer – the rose bushes have the telltale excessive thorns, the witch’s broom leaves, & the buds...
Sorghum And Sweet Corn – Can I Plant Them Together?
Q: Could I plant sorghum in the same area as sweet corn without ruining the corn? A: Though the plants are somewhat similar in appearance, there is no problem planting them together. On the other hand, there could be a...
Zoysia – When To Cut It
Q: My zoysia sod was put down around the first of March. It has mostly greened up and growing. Do I need to cut it now or wait? A: If the grass is more than two inches high then set...
Continuous-Feed Fertilizer – Should I Plan A Fall Feeding
Q: The label on my continuous-feed fertilizer says to feed herbs every three months. I’ve done so once and plan to repeat in July. Should I plan on a fall feeding or not? A: You have good gardening instincts! Despite...
Where Are The June Bugs?
Q: I’m wondering where the June bugs went? We always had so many but over the last ten years they’ve disappeared. I don’t miss them, just curious about what happened to them. A: I have come to wonder the same...
Peonies – Why Are They Not Doing Well This Year?
Q: Some of us have been comparing notes online and it seems that our peonies are not doing well this year. The plants are not very vigorous and have not produced many blooms. Some think it is because of the...
Night Blooming Cereus – What To Do With Rootlets
Q: Last year I was given a night blooming cereus. I have to bring it inside for the winter. This year it is sending out long, hairy shoots that I believe are rootlets looking for places to anchor. Since I...
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,...
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...
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...
Lawn – Timing Spring Pre-emergent Herbicide Application
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...
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...
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...
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...
