Gardening Q and A
Gourd Seed – Sources
Q: I would like to purchase a variety of fancy / exotic gourd seed. I need to find a source that will sell enough for several acres. Most of the seed catalogs sell packets with only a few seed per...
Earthworm – Castings
Q: I have mounds of what look like lilliputian guinea pig droppings all over our front yard. Can’t find any one who can I.D. Any thoughts? A: I’m not sure how you’d know what lilliputian guinea pig droppings look like...
False Aloe
Q: I found some interesting looking plants on a building lot that I was about to grade. The plants appeared to be a native orchid of sorts, so I planted them in a raised bed at my home. I was...
Arbor Day – Celebrating
Q: Would you please give me the date for Arbor Day? A: Arbor Day is celebrated in Georgia on the third Friday of February. Arty Schronce at the Georgia Department of Agriculture says the first Georgia Arbor Day was proclaimed...
Twig Girdler – Identification
Q: My property has many hardwood trees. I continually have to pick up short limbs with healthy green leaves. What is causing them to fall. A: If the trees are oak, pecan or hickory, the culprit is likely the twig...
Corn – For Making Corn Meal
Q: I live in Carroll Co.and was wondering is you know the names of some of the corn that is grown mostly for livestock and for grinding for corn meal.When I was a kid my grandfather grew corn that made...
Fig – Poorly Pruned
Q: This fig tree belongs to my neighbor, but he is now giving me free reign to care for it. Several years ago there was such a bumper crop that I picked over a bushel of figs. Three years ago...
Fruit – Definition of
Q: My sister home schools her nine year-old and in one of his books it states that the banana is a berry. Can you please tell me if this is a fact? A: Oddly enough, bananas ARE berries. A berry...
Pansy – Nitrate Nitrgen
Q: I have read repeatedly your advice to use a fertilizer that contains “nitrate nitrogen”. I have read and read labels, but cannot find such a product. Could you please send me a brand name or names? A: Products containing...
Carpenter Bee – Repelling
Q: I had carpenter bees boring in my deck last year and now they are back again. Is there any way to keep them away? A: The best you can do is to reduce the local population each year. Although...
Stinkhorn – Caged-type
Q: I recently visited my father in south Georgia (Seminole County), and was curious about a mushroom or fungus that was growing in his yard. It looks as if it’s from another planet! I did notice that there were several...
Henbit – Identification
Q: I thought this was henbit but the leaves are furry purple/magenta besides being green. Do you know what this sort of invasive plant is? A: No question here…it’s henbit! This broadleafed weed sprouts in October and becomes rampant in...
Mahonia – Identification
Q: We found a couple of these growing under the pines on our property. Any idea what it might be or how it could have gotten there? One is about five feet tall. A: When I was ten I found...
Begonia – Beefsteak
Q: My Mother passed away last year and she had a plant which I now have. I have tried every source to try to identify it and have been unsuccessful. I hope that you may be of some help. A:...
Birch – Badly Pruned
Q: I had my river birch pruned by a man who said he knew how to do the job. I just wanted it shaped and pruned in a normal manner. The tree now has only three main trunks, that’s it....
Tree – Determining the Value
Q: About a month ago on your radio show you discussed a formula to use to determine the dollar value of a tree. Can you tell me more about that formula? A: Members of the International Society of Arboriculture use...
Firefly Larva
Q: I found this bug in the office of a bird feeding supply store. I’ve never seen anything like it and web searches haven’t turned up anything. A: I consulted the experts at www.bugguide.net (A GREAT site!) and they diagnosed...
Rose Thrips – Control
Q: The edges of my rose petals are brown and ragged. What causes this? A: Rose thrips hide inside rose buds and chew on the edges of petals. When the bloom opens, the damage is evident for all to see....
