Fruits
No 10-10-10 for Blueberries
Q: I did some cleaning of leaves from around my blueberry bushes. Since we are about to have rain would it be a good idea to give them a little 10-10-10 so it would soak in well? A: I don’t...
Elberta Peach Blooming Early
Q: I have several Elberta peach trees that are growing like crazy but they want to bloom in January. I read that mulching them would keep the soil cold to slow blooming. A: The air temperature around trees is what...
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...
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...
How Can I Prop My Fig Bush Up?
Q: My fig bush was so heavy with figs they pulled the limbs almost to the ground. Can they be propped back up? A: One of the ways that edible fig plants (as well as other species of fig) compete...
How Do We Protect Creeping Fig In The Winter?
Q: We have a wall covered in creeping fig. How can we protect it from freezing this winter? A: Ask at your local nursery if they sell frost cloth. This is a lightweight polyester fabric used to drape over tender...
Difference Between Green, Yellow And Red Bell Peppers
Q: What is the difference between green, yellow and red bell peppers? Dave Baker, Conyers A: All bell peppers start out with green or yellow-green fruit which then progress through other colors to finally end up with red skin. Different...
Japanese Plum Yews With Cottony Scale
Q: I have twenty Japanese plum yews that are infested with cottony scale to the point it looks like snow on the branches. Should I dig them up and toss them? A: Don’t give up yet! I have gotten control...
Thorny Three-Leaf Orange Plants With Fuzzy Yellow Fruits
Q: I have a bunch of thorny three-leaf orange plants with lots of fuzzy yellow fruit on my property. Are they worth anything? What’s the best way of getting rid of them? A: I have heard of farmers planting trifoliate...
Caring For Ghost Peppers Inside
Q: I love hot peppers and grow ghost peppers in two containers. What is the best way to care for them if I bring them inside for the winter? A: Even though we think of peppers as being annual plants,...
How Much Space Should I Leave Between My Blueberry Bushes?
Q: I inherited an overgrown blueberry patch ten years ago. I managed to clear it and they have borne a reasonable quantity of fruit each year. However, I lose a lot of fruit because the rows between the bushes have...
Are There Any Heirloom Tomato Festivals In The Southeast?
Q: Are there any heirloom tomato festivals in the Southeast? I’m looking for a way to taste a variety of heirlooms at once. A: Cartersville GA, Raleigh NC, Columbia SC, and Hendersonville NC have yearly tomato festivals of some sort....
My Plants Produced Fewer/Smaller Tomatoes This Year
Q: I had the worst year ever for tomatoes. The plants didn’t produce as many tomatoes and the tomatoes themselves were smaller than normal. A: I think it was just the vagaries of your local environment. Several things can cause...
Is It True That The Female Watermelons Are Sweeter?
Q: I was bragging to a friend that my sliced watermelon is always sweet because I choose the round female ones and not the longer male fruit. He laughed at me at said this was an urban myth! Who is...
My Large Peach Tree Is Not Producing Well
Q: I have a rather large peach tree that doesn’t produce very well. I didn’t prune it properly at the beginning so it’s about 15 feet tall with lots of branches and doesn’t have an open center. A: A short...
How Can I Help My Peach Tree Resume Vertical Growth?
Q: Our peach tree has suffered for years from extensive shading on one side, encouraging it to lean precipitously. It has lots of green leaves. I removed the trees around it recently. Can I help the peach to resume vertical...
Advice For Proper Varieties And Planting Of Fig Trees?
Q: What advice do you have for proper varieties and planting of fig trees? A: Figs growing in the open in Dahlonega can suffer lots of damage in a severe winter. But given a sheltered planting spot by a wall...
Should I Put Crushed Egg Shells In Soil Around Tomatoes?
Q: I saw online that you can put crushed egg shells in the soil around tomatoes for extra nutrients. Is this a good idea? A: It doesn’t hurt anything to put crushed eggshells around tomato plants, but it probably doesn’t...
