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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Jelly Bean Plant – Identification
Q: I was given a plant called a “jelly bean” plant. It has a three-lobed leaf and flowers like a hibiscus. I found a nursery in Louisiana that said it was a ‘Red Zinger’ hibiscus. I don’t know if this...
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Rough Green Snake – Identification
Q: Can you identify this snake for me? I found it in a small tree. I watched it as it climbed onto a low hanging limb of an oak and then I got him! I figure that it is harmless...
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Leyland – Won’t Regrow Lower Branches
Q: I lost two Leyland cypresses in a bad storm. The three left standing are brown on the interior of the tree. The outside of the tree is green.Will the brown side eventually turn green, now that it will receive...
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Sago Palm – Thin Fronds in Low Light
Q: What are these coming out of the sago palm in our office? A: It’s not getting enough light. Sago palm is typically an outdoor tropical plant. The skinny new fronds are simply reaching for any light they can find....
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Are Butterfly Bushes Invasive?
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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Options for Water-Holding Lawns
Q: Can you give me ways to decrease water holding in my back lawn? Water comes from a small hill on the side of my house. Might a rain garden help soak up some of the water? A: If your...
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Controlling Lespedeza
Q: How do I control lespedeza? A: I see two kinds of lespedeza that are problematic in lawns. Annual lespedeza, Lespedeza striata, is a low-growing annual plant; it sprouts from seed each year. Sericea lespedeza, Lespedeza cuneata, is an upright...
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Planting Star Magnolias
Q: In late July, my star magnolia, planted last fall, suddenly almost completely defoliated. I kept it watered through the winter and only occasionally this summer since rain was frequent. It looked healthy in early July. Any idea what the...
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Termites in Tomato Stakes
Q: We pulled up the wooden tomato stakes from our raised beds and found them covered with termites. What would you do? A: Finding termites on untreated wooden stakes is not a problem. This is the way nature is supposed...
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Trimming Oak Leaf Hydrangeas
Q: When should I trim my oak leaf hydrangea? How far back? A: The best time to prune is right after the flowers fade, usually in late July. Remembering that the shrub wants to be at least 6 feet high,...
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English Ivy and Snakes
Q: My neighbor accuses my English ivy of being a harbor for snakes. Valid? A: Jason Clark, snake expert at Southeastern Reptile Rescue says ivy doesn’t necessarily bring snakes to your property but when they do wander through and find...
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How to Get Rid of Nostoc
Q: Do you have any suggestions for getting rid of the green jelly stuff in our lawn? A: You have nostoc. It’s a gelatinous colony of a type of bacteria that is usually found where grass is growing poorly due...
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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...
Jelly Bean Plant – Identification
Q: I was given a plant called a “jelly bean” plant. It has a three-lobed leaf and flowers like a hibiscus. I found a nursery in Louisiana that said it was a ‘Red Zinger’ hibiscus. I don’t know if this...
Rough Green Snake – Identification
Q: Can you identify this snake for me? I found it in a small tree. I watched it as it climbed onto a low hanging limb of an oak and then I got him! I figure that it is harmless...
Leyland – Won’t Regrow Lower Branches
Q: I lost two Leyland cypresses in a bad storm. The three left standing are brown on the interior of the tree. The outside of the tree is green.Will the brown side eventually turn green, now that it will receive...
Sago Palm – Thin Fronds in Low Light
Q: What are these coming out of the sago palm in our office? A: It’s not getting enough light. Sago palm is typically an outdoor tropical plant. The skinny new fronds are simply reaching for any light they can find....
Are Butterfly Bushes Invasive?
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...
Options for Water-Holding Lawns
Q: Can you give me ways to decrease water holding in my back lawn? Water comes from a small hill on the side of my house. Might a rain garden help soak up some of the water? A: If your...
Controlling Lespedeza
Q: How do I control lespedeza? A: I see two kinds of lespedeza that are problematic in lawns. Annual lespedeza, Lespedeza striata, is a low-growing annual plant; it sprouts from seed each year. Sericea lespedeza, Lespedeza cuneata, is an upright...
Planting Star Magnolias
Q: In late July, my star magnolia, planted last fall, suddenly almost completely defoliated. I kept it watered through the winter and only occasionally this summer since rain was frequent. It looked healthy in early July. Any idea what the...
Termites in Tomato Stakes
Q: We pulled up the wooden tomato stakes from our raised beds and found them covered with termites. What would you do? A: Finding termites on untreated wooden stakes is not a problem. This is the way nature is supposed...
Trimming Oak Leaf Hydrangeas
Q: When should I trim my oak leaf hydrangea? How far back? A: The best time to prune is right after the flowers fade, usually in late July. Remembering that the shrub wants to be at least 6 feet high,...
English Ivy and Snakes
Q: My neighbor accuses my English ivy of being a harbor for snakes. Valid? A: Jason Clark, snake expert at Southeastern Reptile Rescue says ivy doesn’t necessarily bring snakes to your property but when they do wander through and find...
How to Get Rid of Nostoc
Q: Do you have any suggestions for getting rid of the green jelly stuff in our lawn? A: You have nostoc. It’s a gelatinous colony of a type of bacteria that is usually found where grass is growing poorly due...
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...
