Tree Pruning
Pruning a tree sometimes invokes more worry than it should. You wonder if removing a tree limb is analogous to cutting off your leg (does it hurt? will I kill it?). Fortunately, if you take your time, pruning can be easily done, with no harm to your tree. TIMING: You can remove...
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...
English Ivy – Management and Control
Q: English ivy is taking over my back yard. It has probably been there for twenty-plus years. What’s the best way to control it? PULL IT UP Check out this great Web site about English ivy removal. The Ivy Removal Project (www.noivyleague.com) is based in Portland, Oregon. Over the past...
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...
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Tree Pruning
Pruning a tree sometimes invokes more worry than it should. You wonder if removing a tree limb is analogous to cutting off your leg (does it hurt? will I kill it?). Fortunately, if you take your time, pruning can be easily done,...
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Flowering Tree Or Shrub That Can Take Full Afternoon Sun?
Q: Is there a dogwood or any other small/medium flowering tree or shrub that will tolerate full afternoon sun? A: Kousa dogwood or any of its varieties grow great in full sun. It is one of my favorite trees to...
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Vegetable Plants Not Affected By Bacterial Wilt
Q: Can you give a list of vegetable plants that are not affected by bacterial wilt. I had this disease diagnosed in my tomatoes last year. A: There is only a very narrow selection! I have never heard of sweet...
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Life Span Of St. Augustine Lawns
Q: Recently I was told that St. Augustine lawns have a natural life span of less than fifteen years. My own experience refutes this. A: I agree with you! My own St. Augustine lawn has been here for twenty years....
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Killing The Root Of Bradford Pear Bushes
Q: I am trying to eliminate obnoxious volunteer Bradford pear bushes. Is there a way to kill the roots without waiting for regrowth and using weed killer. A: You could dig the roots out, but I’m guessing that’s not what...
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The Right Fertilizer For Pansies?
Q: The University of Georgia recommends feeding pansies with a soluble 15-2-20 fertilizer in the winter but I can’t find this available for purchase. Is there something else to use? A: University fertilizer recommendations are based on detailed research, but...
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To Compost Or Not To Compost?
Q: I am new to rural living but we have recently moved to a big forested lot. The house is surrounded with typical plants for which I have no great love. I want to compost all of the plant material...
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Will Peonies Survive Bloom In A Large Pot?
Q: I have a twenty-year-old bed of peonies. I’m going to be moving in February. Any suggestions? If I can’t plant immediately in my new location, will peonies survive and bloom in a large pot? A: If your peonies will...
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Planting Rainier Cherry Trees In Atlanta
Q: I’d like to plant several Rainier cherry trees just to see what happens. I LOVE them. A: So, I see you are a gambler! Sweet cherry trees have a tough time bearing fruit in metro Atlanta. Temperature swings in...
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No Acorns On My Oak Tree This Year
Q: Last year I had a bumper crop of acorns on my oak trees. This year I haven’t seen a single one. Was there a crop failure? My squirrels would like to know. A: That’s funny…I got a different question...
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Cutting Extending Roots Of A Pine Tree
Q: Is there a safe distance out from the base of a pine tree to cut extending roots? A: I am sure there is one but I can’t tell you how to determine it. Much depends on the height of...
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Christmas Cactus Buds Are Falling Off Without Opening Up
Q: My Christmas cactus had many buds, but lots of them fell off without opening up. What am I doing wrong? A: In my experience, there are three things that could cause Christmas cactus bud drop. If the plant is...
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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...
Tree Pruning
Pruning a tree sometimes invokes more worry than it should. You wonder if removing a tree limb is analogous to cutting off your leg (does it hurt? will I kill it?). Fortunately, if you take your time, pruning can be easily done,...
Flowering Tree Or Shrub That Can Take Full Afternoon Sun?
Q: Is there a dogwood or any other small/medium flowering tree or shrub that will tolerate full afternoon sun? A: Kousa dogwood or any of its varieties grow great in full sun. It is one of my favorite trees to...
Vegetable Plants Not Affected By Bacterial Wilt
Q: Can you give a list of vegetable plants that are not affected by bacterial wilt. I had this disease diagnosed in my tomatoes last year. A: There is only a very narrow selection! I have never heard of sweet...
Life Span Of St. Augustine Lawns
Q: Recently I was told that St. Augustine lawns have a natural life span of less than fifteen years. My own experience refutes this. A: I agree with you! My own St. Augustine lawn has been here for twenty years....
Killing The Root Of Bradford Pear Bushes
Q: I am trying to eliminate obnoxious volunteer Bradford pear bushes. Is there a way to kill the roots without waiting for regrowth and using weed killer. A: You could dig the roots out, but I’m guessing that’s not what...
The Right Fertilizer For Pansies?
Q: The University of Georgia recommends feeding pansies with a soluble 15-2-20 fertilizer in the winter but I can’t find this available for purchase. Is there something else to use? A: University fertilizer recommendations are based on detailed research, but...
To Compost Or Not To Compost?
Q: I am new to rural living but we have recently moved to a big forested lot. The house is surrounded with typical plants for which I have no great love. I want to compost all of the plant material...
Will Peonies Survive Bloom In A Large Pot?
Q: I have a twenty-year-old bed of peonies. I’m going to be moving in February. Any suggestions? If I can’t plant immediately in my new location, will peonies survive and bloom in a large pot? A: If your peonies will...
Planting Rainier Cherry Trees In Atlanta
Q: I’d like to plant several Rainier cherry trees just to see what happens. I LOVE them. A: So, I see you are a gambler! Sweet cherry trees have a tough time bearing fruit in metro Atlanta. Temperature swings in...
No Acorns On My Oak Tree This Year
Q: Last year I had a bumper crop of acorns on my oak trees. This year I haven’t seen a single one. Was there a crop failure? My squirrels would like to know. A: That’s funny…I got a different question...
Cutting Extending Roots Of A Pine Tree
Q: Is there a safe distance out from the base of a pine tree to cut extending roots? A: I am sure there is one but I can’t tell you how to determine it. Much depends on the height of...
Christmas Cactus Buds Are Falling Off Without Opening Up
Q: My Christmas cactus had many buds, but lots of them fell off without opening up. What am I doing wrong? A: In my experience, there are three things that could cause Christmas cactus bud drop. If the plant is...
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...
