Trip to Italy – May, 2018 – Announcement
I’m hosting a trip to southern Italy on April 14 – 26, 2018! Whenever I’ve mentioned to seasoned travelers a trip to Italy, they get a dreamy look in their eyes and insist “You MUST go to southern Italy in the spring….it is just so beautiful…. and the food is so...
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...
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...
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How Long Should I Wait To Spray Weed Killer After Seeding The Fescue Lawn?
Q: I reseeded my fescue lawn and the new grass is coming up really good. There are a lot of weeds also coming up with the new grass. How long should I wait to spray weed killer after seeding the...
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Old Water Oak In Decline – What Can Be Done?
Q: We have an old water oak in our front yard that the Extension service tells us is in decline. For the past 3 years, there has been a noticeable diminishment of leaves on the tree. What can be done? ...
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Weak Gardenias – When Should I Prune And Fertilize?
Q: I have some gardenias that once had large flowers. They have declined in the past couple of years. Now they have small leaves, small flowers and lichens on the stems. Should I prune and fertilize them now to help...
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Is ammonium sulfate and 21-0-0 the same thing?
Q: Is ammonium sulfate and 21-0-0 the same thing? A: Sure is! It’s always good to remember in the back of your mind that fertilizers, whether organic or synthetic, are basically chemicals. Organic fertilizers are complex organic compounds; synthetic fertilizers...
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When Should I Plant My 18” Peanut Butter Tree In The Ground?
Q: I have a peanut butter tree that I’ve been growing in a pot. It is now 18″ high and has a few smaller sprouts that have also come up. When can I plant them in the ground outside? A:...
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Where Are Angel Trumpet Seeds?
Q: Where are angel trumpet seeds? I see ads for the seeds but I can’t see any on my plant! A: An angel trumpet (Brugmansia) seed pod looks like an okra pod hanging from a short stem where a flower...
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Where Can I Find Perennial Lantana?
Q: Where can I find perennial lantana? I’ve hunted for years. A: If you are willing to make a little trip, you can visit the nursery where the first perennial lantana was introduced. Rick Berry and Marc Richardson, founders of...
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Can I Get Away With Not Scalping My Bermuda Lawn?
Q: I have a large and beautiful bermuda lawn. I typically scalp it in spring. Can I get away with not scalping? It’s a pretty daunting job at my age. A: Plenty of bermudagrass lawns go without scalping in spring...
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Silver Maple Is Losing Bark And Limbs – Can I Save It?
Q: I have an old silver maple in my yard that is losing bark and has dead limbs. How can I save this beautiful tree? A: My answer will disappoint you, but I think you should have it taken down....
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A Growing Hole In Our Gravel Driveway
Q: A hole has shown up in our gravel driveway. Growing from two inches across to six inches. Is it a critter or something else? A: In my experience, lots of landscape holes are formed when an underground piece of...
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How Do I Remedy A Fusarium Infection From Soil
Q: I believe I have a fusarium infection in my garden soil. Plants start out healthy but quickly wilt and discolor. Is soil solarization an option? A: Fusarium is a root disease that is hard to eliminate from soil. Solarizing...
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Zinnias – How To Cut Them Back
Q: I put zinnias around my mail box. They grew five feet high! Is there a way to cut them back so they won’ t get too tall? A: On a garden tour in England, I learned the phrase “the...
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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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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...
-
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...
How Long Should I Wait To Spray Weed Killer After Seeding The Fescue Lawn?
Q: I reseeded my fescue lawn and the new grass is coming up really good. There are a lot of weeds also coming up with the new grass. How long should I wait to spray weed killer after seeding the...
Old Water Oak In Decline – What Can Be Done?
Q: We have an old water oak in our front yard that the Extension service tells us is in decline. For the past 3 years, there has been a noticeable diminishment of leaves on the tree. What can be done? ...
Weak Gardenias – When Should I Prune And Fertilize?
Q: I have some gardenias that once had large flowers. They have declined in the past couple of years. Now they have small leaves, small flowers and lichens on the stems. Should I prune and fertilize them now to help...
Is ammonium sulfate and 21-0-0 the same thing?
Q: Is ammonium sulfate and 21-0-0 the same thing? A: Sure is! It’s always good to remember in the back of your mind that fertilizers, whether organic or synthetic, are basically chemicals. Organic fertilizers are complex organic compounds; synthetic fertilizers...
When Should I Plant My 18” Peanut Butter Tree In The Ground?
Q: I have a peanut butter tree that I’ve been growing in a pot. It is now 18″ high and has a few smaller sprouts that have also come up. When can I plant them in the ground outside? A:...
Where Are Angel Trumpet Seeds?
Q: Where are angel trumpet seeds? I see ads for the seeds but I can’t see any on my plant! A: An angel trumpet (Brugmansia) seed pod looks like an okra pod hanging from a short stem where a flower...
Where Can I Find Perennial Lantana?
Q: Where can I find perennial lantana? I’ve hunted for years. A: If you are willing to make a little trip, you can visit the nursery where the first perennial lantana was introduced. Rick Berry and Marc Richardson, founders of...
Can I Get Away With Not Scalping My Bermuda Lawn?
Q: I have a large and beautiful bermuda lawn. I typically scalp it in spring. Can I get away with not scalping? It’s a pretty daunting job at my age. A: Plenty of bermudagrass lawns go without scalping in spring...
Silver Maple Is Losing Bark And Limbs – Can I Save It?
Q: I have an old silver maple in my yard that is losing bark and has dead limbs. How can I save this beautiful tree? A: My answer will disappoint you, but I think you should have it taken down....
A Growing Hole In Our Gravel Driveway
Q: A hole has shown up in our gravel driveway. Growing from two inches across to six inches. Is it a critter or something else? A: In my experience, lots of landscape holes are formed when an underground piece of...
How Do I Remedy A Fusarium Infection From Soil
Q: I believe I have a fusarium infection in my garden soil. Plants start out healthy but quickly wilt and discolor. Is soil solarization an option? A: Fusarium is a root disease that is hard to eliminate from soil. Solarizing...
Zinnias – How To Cut Them Back
Q: I put zinnias around my mail box. They grew five feet high! Is there a way to cut them back so they won’ t get too tall? A: On a garden tour in England, I learned the phrase “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,...
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...
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...
