Gardening Q and A
Scotch Broom – Invasiveness
Q: In reading a 1996 “Horticulture” magazine I came across an article listing Scotch broom, Cytisus scoparius, as an invasive/noxious plant. I know it is a problem in California and the Northwest, but I want to make sure it would...
Compost – Using Fertilizer
Q: In attempting to make compost, I have no difficulty in rounding up plenty of brown material such as dried leaves and wood chips but I can’t seem to find enough green material to make up a 2:1 green:brown ratio....
Insecticide – Eating Fruit after Use
Q: I am in a dilemma! Recently we put a product containing the systemic insecticide imidacloprid around some blueberry bushes and figs. Will we be able to eat the fruit from these plants this year? A: My research reveals that...
Carpetweed- Identification
Q: I have a problem with a weed that I can’t seem to get rid of. My friends call it carpetweed. Do you know this weed and if so what is the best way to get rid of it? A:...
Bougainvillea – Winter Hardiness
Q: My wife and I bought a bougainvillea at a recent flower show. Is possible to plant bougainvillea in the ground? Will it come back next year? A: Bougainvillea definitely won’t live outdoors in the winter in Atlanta. You have...
Aucuba – Identifying Seed
Q: Last year I bought a bunch of aucuba plants. In with them was a plant a lot like the rest but with a different leaf. The leaf is seven inches long and two inches wide and is a dark...
Mulch – Pine Straw vs. Nuggets
Q: Which do you recommend: pine straw mulch or pine mini-nuggets for putting around plants. I know mulch serves two purposes: appearance and retaining water. A: I think it’s more your judgement of appearance than anything else. Some people like...
Joseph’s Coat – Care
Q: Can you identify this small plant for me? I purchased it last spring. There was no information tag attached. All the garden center could tell me was that it’s a good border plant. It’s now 18″ wide and 10″...
Citrus Plants – Protecting from Cold
Q: I am buying several citrus plants from a grower in South Carolina. He has recommended the best citrus trees for my 7b hardiness zone, including ‘Changsha’ mandarin orange, bitter lemon and pummelo. He says they need a “protected” 7b...
Forsythia – Crown Gall
Q: As I inspected my forsythia recently, I saw several odd-looking knots on stems that had few flowers. Can you tell me what this is? A: Crown gall is caused by a bacteria. It induces the host plant to produce...
Hydrangea – Identification and Pruning
Q: I have hydrangeas on some new property. I would like to prune them but am unsure which hydrangeas I have, and therefore when to prune them. How do I tell them apart? A: In my garden, the color and...
Hydrangeas – Frost Damage
Q: I planted 9 ‘Annabelle’ Hydrangeas in March in an area on the North side of the house that receives almost no sun. The soil had a lot of clay so I amended with peat moss, composted manure and sand....
Piedmont Azalea – Description
Q: I have a bush/shrub that I need to identify-I have been told it is a wild azalea. It has woody stalks, very similar to the 4 different varieties of azalea in my yard, but it sheds it’s leaves in...
Climbing Rose- Encouraging Blooms
Q: Two years ago we planted Queen Elizabeth climbing roses against trellises at our back fence. I had envisioned the foliage disguising the board fence. What I got was bare branches to the top of the fence and then a...
Granny Smith Apple – Determining Ripeness
Q: I have a producing ‘Granny Smith’ apple tree. This year I have a lot of apples on the tree and want to know when I am supposed to pick them. A: Since Granny Smith is a green apple, it’s...
Fescue – Summer Swoon (Dieback)
Q: What are the physiological processes involved when fescue thins out during the summer in the heat and humidity in Atlanta? A: Turf expert Clint Waltz calls it “summer swoon of fescue”. Thinning is a survival mechanism caused by water...
Chicory – Identifying
Q: In April I brought a plant to Pikes and they said it was a chicory. It came in a wildflower packet of seeds about 3 years ago. It was about an 8 inch clump, about 6-8 inches tall. They...
Rose Bush – Butterfly/China Rose
Q: Last year Theresa mentioned a rose bush call “China Rose” as a nice bush rose. It is suppose to bloom all summer and change colors. I have not been able to find this rose. Is there another name for...
