Birds – Attracting
To attract birds at any time of the year, select plants that provide nectar, fruits, berries or nuts. There are many trees and shrubs that offer fruit or berries long into fall and even through winter. The small apples of ‘Zumi’ crabapple are a favorite of purple finches and many...
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 kind of fescue is best. It is not as important...
Shrub – Transplanting 1-2-3
Most shrubs and trees should be transplanted when the demand for water is least, in late fall or winter. Since many roots will inevitably be lost, they need many weeks to regenerate themselves before the hot, dry blasts of summer arrive. If you are contemplating moving a plant that would...
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, then choose your method of weed control. Remember: healthy, vigorous...
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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Any way to heal a damaged white oak?
Q: I have a 100 year old white oak. It has a few dead limbs, but most limbs are healthy and have leaves. To slow the demise of this old oak should I fill in the hollow with dirt or...
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Options to control scale on magnolia
Q: I noticed scale on the underside of my magnolia trees leaves. Is this something I can treat now or do I have to wait until the spring? A: The most advantageous time to treat for scale is in the...
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Abnormally large tithonia
Q: I plant tithonia every year for the butterflies and pollinators. This year in one group of three Mexican sunflowers, the middle sunflower grew to twelve feet tall while the ones on either side grew their normal height of six...
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Boxwood Blight – Replace Boxwoods with Holly
Classic boxwood hedgerows serve as the structural backdrop for many formal gardens but — from Burgundy to Buckhead — the hedges that have kept the fanciest gardens trim and tasteful for decades are under attack. Boxwood blight, a fungal disease...
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Birds – Attracting
To attract birds at any time of the year, select plants that provide nectar, fruits, berries or nuts. There are many trees and shrubs that offer fruit or berries long into fall and even through winter. The small apples of...
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White foam (fungus) on treated wood
Q: We recently saw a strange white foam substance on our landscape wall. Any help would be appreciated. A: It is the fruiting body of a fungus that is inside the wood, decomposing it. See Fungus on Treated wood Look...
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Christmas Cactus has brown stalk
Q: My mom has a Christmas cactus on which the ends are green with just a few flower buds. The bottom of each branch is all brown. Is there something wrong with the plant? A: This is normal behavior for...
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Ladybug (lady beetle) pupae identified
Q: These bugs are on our maple tree. They look similar to a ladybug but want to know if these are friend or foe. A: These are actually ladybug (lady beetle) pupae. The ladybug lifecycle consists of four stages: egg,...
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Lesser celandine (Fig Buttercup) – Control
Q: Can someone identify this? It’s everywhere this year. A: It is lesser celandine (fig buttercup), Ficaria verna. Although the yellow flowers are attractive, it grows so quickly that it chokes out other plans. Ferns, trillium, and other spring ephemerals...
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Holly dying in same spot
Q: Two hollies have died in the same spot over the last couple of years.. The first one was replaced and now this one has died. I watered in absence of rain for a week. A: It looks to me...
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Sky Pencil holly has dead branches
Q: Any ideas why these branches died? A: I don’t know why ‘Sky Pencil’ holly does this but I have seen it before. Clip the dead branches at a spot below the brown leaves. Use a knife to gently scrape...
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Popcorn sheller
Q: Here is my DIY popcorn sheller. I don’t know why more people don’t grow popcorn. Especially folks with kids. So easy to grow and fun! A: On the farm, we used a purpose-built hand-cranked cast iron corn sheller to...
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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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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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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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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 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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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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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...
Any way to heal a damaged white oak?
Q: I have a 100 year old white oak. It has a few dead limbs, but most limbs are healthy and have leaves. To slow the demise of this old oak should I fill in the hollow with dirt or...
Options to control scale on magnolia
Q: I noticed scale on the underside of my magnolia trees leaves. Is this something I can treat now or do I have to wait until the spring? A: The most advantageous time to treat for scale is in the...
Abnormally large tithonia
Q: I plant tithonia every year for the butterflies and pollinators. This year in one group of three Mexican sunflowers, the middle sunflower grew to twelve feet tall while the ones on either side grew their normal height of six...
Boxwood Blight – Replace Boxwoods with Holly
Classic boxwood hedgerows serve as the structural backdrop for many formal gardens but — from Burgundy to Buckhead — the hedges that have kept the fanciest gardens trim and tasteful for decades are under attack. Boxwood blight, a fungal disease...
Birds – Attracting
To attract birds at any time of the year, select plants that provide nectar, fruits, berries or nuts. There are many trees and shrubs that offer fruit or berries long into fall and even through winter. The small apples of...
White foam (fungus) on treated wood
Q: We recently saw a strange white foam substance on our landscape wall. Any help would be appreciated. A: It is the fruiting body of a fungus that is inside the wood, decomposing it. See Fungus on Treated wood Look...
Christmas Cactus has brown stalk
Q: My mom has a Christmas cactus on which the ends are green with just a few flower buds. The bottom of each branch is all brown. Is there something wrong with the plant? A: This is normal behavior for...
Ladybug (lady beetle) pupae identified
Q: These bugs are on our maple tree. They look similar to a ladybug but want to know if these are friend or foe. A: These are actually ladybug (lady beetle) pupae. The ladybug lifecycle consists of four stages: egg,...
Lesser celandine (Fig Buttercup) – Control
Q: Can someone identify this? It’s everywhere this year. A: It is lesser celandine (fig buttercup), Ficaria verna. Although the yellow flowers are attractive, it grows so quickly that it chokes out other plans. Ferns, trillium, and other spring ephemerals...
Holly dying in same spot
Q: Two hollies have died in the same spot over the last couple of years.. The first one was replaced and now this one has died. I watered in absence of rain for a week. A: It looks to me...
Sky Pencil holly has dead branches
Q: Any ideas why these branches died? A: I don’t know why ‘Sky Pencil’ holly does this but I have seen it before. Clip the dead branches at a spot below the brown leaves. Use a knife to gently scrape...
Popcorn sheller
Q: Here is my DIY popcorn sheller. I don’t know why more people don’t grow popcorn. Especially folks with kids. So easy to grow and fun! A: On the farm, we used a purpose-built hand-cranked cast iron corn sheller to...
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,...
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...
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....
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 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...
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...
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...
