Gardening Q and A
Dogwood – Septoria Leaf Spot
Q: I have spots on my dogwood as shown in the attached picture. Can you help? A: It’s septoria leaf spot. In my view it is not generally a big problem but removing fallen leaves in autumn is a good...
Pomegranate – Double-flowered
Q: My neighbor has no idea what this shrub is, having bought it from a nursery but not keeping any tags. I’ve never seen anything like it. The growth habit is like a nice holly – full, prunable, and thick...
Blackberry Lily – Identification
Q: I have a beautiful orchid-like flower growing wild in my horse pasture. I’d love any info on when, where and how to move it so I can enjoy it without hiking to the back of my property to see...
Leyland Cypress – Branches Dying
Q: Three out of my twenty seven Leyland cypress’s are dead and most of the others have branches turning brown. Is there chemical that will stop this? A: This is a common situation during and after a drought. Leyland cypress...
Tomatillo – Identification
Q: What is this in my garden? It grows like a bush, more wide than tall. The fruit starts as a pod with a small green pea. This pea outgrows the pod, but no bigger then the palm of my...
Mothballs – Poisonous
Q: I heard on your radio show that mothballs can be poisonous. I’ve used them and I am just hoping for some clarification: are they poisonous to humans or animals only? Should we be expecting to experience particular symptoms? If...
Balloon Cotton Bush – Identification
Q: I found an odd bush in my back yard. It has light green hairy seed pods. Any idea what it might be? A: My colleague Winston Eason gets the identification prize. He says it is a balloon cotton bush,...
Rain Lily – Identification
Q: This flower bloomed from a bulb that was given to me. The leaves show in the spring but the flower appears in early September. Can you help me with an identification? A: It’s a rain lily, Zephyranthes atamasco The...
Birds – Nesting Material
Q: I have an outdoor bench with polyester cushions. Birds attacked the top of the cushion, apparently carrying away bits of the stuffing for nests. How do I protect new cushions from the same kind of attack? A: Try placing...
Tulip Poplar – Losing Leaves in Drought
Q: I am concerned about a couple of my larger trees on my property. They are losing a lot of leaves as if it is fall. A: The leaves they you are seeing are from tulip poplar, a common, large...
Spider – Identification
Q: I’m trying to identify spiders that are spinning webs around the outside of the house right now. One of the pictures is of his web, which may help identifying. A: I’m guessing it’s Neoscona crucifera, a common orb-weaving garden...
Earwig – Identification
Q: I have seen this strange bug all my life here in Georgia, but I’ve never known what it is. A bunch of them crawled out of a crack in a concrete block retaining wall in our back yard. A:...
Walkingstick Insect – Identification
Q: I assume this is an insect. It’s approximately 6″ top to bottom, with “feelers” taking half of total length. Is that pincher at the bottom used to protect itself? A: Your critter is a walkingstick insect. In fact, you...
Polygonum – Identification
Q: Do you know what this plant/weed is? If it is a weed, it sure is attractive. A: I initially thought your was Lady’s Thumb, Polygonum persicaria. But when I checked with my friend Shannon Pable, she pointed out that...
Cutleaf Coneflower – Identification
Q: We picked this up from a friend a couple of years ago. It blooms in August, producing yellow flowers with radial petals and a brown center, looks a bit like a coneflower. Leaves are three-lobed (my terminology may not...
Celosia – Identification
Q: Can you identify this plant? It’s growing in my neighbor’s yard, and I really would like more for my garden. The blooms feel a little fuzzy. I believe the two pictures are of the same variety of plant, but...
Hydrangea – Root Rot
Q: I planted ‘Snowflake’ oakleaf hydrangeas last December. They have done great this year. But about a week ago, I noticed that the leaves on two of the shrubs were wilting. I checked around the base and there was adequate...
Cherry – Gall on Leaves
Q: What’s this sprouting out of the leaves on the lower limbs of my wild cherry tree? I sprayed it with insecticide last night, but I don’t think it’s an insect infestation, is it? A: They are just harmless galls,...
