Gardening Q and A
Juniper – Phomopsis tip blight
Q: I’m in a panic because my junipers are dying. The tips of the branches turn brown. This quickly turns into a very dead branch and so on and so on. I don’t see any noticeable insects. A: Phomopsis tip...
Fir Trees – Wire embedded in trunks
Q: My neighbor’s backyard has a steep hill which was planted with fir trees. The builder used wire supports on the trees. He decided to remove the supports, but they are embedded in the trunks. He’s thinking of using a...
Bird of Paradise – Growing
Q: We purchased a bird of paradise plant early last year and planted it in a large container. The plant looks VERY healthy, however it didn’t bloom last year and doesn’t look like it will this year. What could be...
Impatiens – Re-seeding
Q: I have a neighbor with a garden full of impatiens, in varying colors, that re-bloom every year. They disappear in winter then come back in summer. He says that they re-seed themselves. I would appreciate any knowledge that you...
Bermudagrass – Too much lime
Q: I think I made a big mistake with my new bermudagrass sod lawn. Someone told me I needed to put down lime to reduce acid in my Georgia red clay. No one told me I should have the lawn...
Zoysiagrass – Reversing solarization
Q: Last weekend we took the solar blanket off our pool and laid it in our yard to dry. When we came back an hour later we found that the grass underneath had been burned. Now there is a big...
Lacecap Hydrangea – Identifying
Q: I have what I thought was a hydrangea but I don’t get the big flowers that others do. It starts off with a cluster of little buds but then only the outer fringe blossoms turn into real petals. The...
Tomato – spraying with detergent
Q: My mother had an incredible vegetable garden, with huge tomato plants. However, she had whiteflies all over her plants. My sister-in-law told her of a remedy she had seen on a public television gardening show. She advised to spray...
Bermudagrass – Going to seed
Q: I have been told that you should and that you should not let bermudagrass go to seed. Which is correct and why? A: I see no problem with letting bermudagrass go to seed, other than an observation that you...
Corn – preventing cross-pollination
Q: I am a organic gardener and would like to know if you plant pop corn next to the regular corn will it cross-pollinate and ruin my corn crop? A: Unlike other vegetables, the taste of corn is affected by...
Sod – Laying too late
Q: I have a friend who purchased ten pallets of fescue sod. She put down one pallet the same day. The other nine pallets were not installed until two days later. The first pallet put down looks great. Only twenty...
Tiger Lily – propagating by seed
Q: Can you tell me if I can use the seeds that nestle next to each leaf on very old tiger lilies? These are precious to me and I would love to find another way to propagate rather than digging...
Flower bed – conditioning soil
Q: I have an existing flower bed that was tilled with soil amendments at the beginning but maybe not enough. Will top dressing the entire area with soil conditioner this fall help areas that are lacking in amendments? The bed...
‘Lavender Wave’ petunia – growing
Q: I twice planted some ‘Lavender Wave’ petunias for a friend of mine. They are not thriving. The petunias there last year grew wonderfully. Could it be that there is not enough drainage? A: Although I’ve seen spectacular displays of...
Plum Tree – fertilizing
Q: I have plum trees. Information from the University of Georgia says to fertilize them with calcium nitrate. What is this and where do I get some? A: Calcium nitrate is a specialty fertilizer for fruit trees. It does not...
Oak – Cicada damage
Q: I was in North Georgia last weekend and noticed there are many huge oaks with dying leaves at the tips of the branches. I hope this is not some new blight affecting these beautiful trees. Do you have any...
Butterfly Bush – Pruning
Q: Last fall I cut my butterfly bush back to eight inches and it grew six feet high this year. It was beautiful but it shaded all the other flowers I planted around it. Is there any way I can...
Celosia – Growing
Q: Have you seen or tried to grow cockscomb celosia? The flower looks like a fuzzy brain and is red or yellow. I have some seeds from a bouquet given to me and I’d like to cultivate them. What are...
