Gardening Q and A
Chinese Privet – Rooting
Q: While attending a UGA football game, a groundskeeper gave my grandson parts of the hedge that grows around the field. I have it in water now. What is the best way to root this? A: The Sanford Stadium hedge...
Trucker’s Favorite Corn Seed – Sources to Purchase
Q: Is the Trucker’s Favorite corn seed I buy from a garden center the same as what I can buy online from an heirloom seed dealer? A: You can get the seed at either place. ‘Truckers Favorite’ has been around...
Japanese Loquat Tree – Cold Tolerance
Q: I have a lovely Japanese loquat tree. Will it survive the winter here? A: I know of several loquats that grow in sheltered locations inside the Perimeter in NE Atlanta. They occasionally get winter damage but don’t die from...
Pelletized vs. Fast-Acting Lime
Q: I followed your recommendation to get my lawn soil tested. The results say I need to add 90 pounds of lime per 1,000 square feet. Is there a difference in pelletized lime and fast-acting lime? A: University of Georgia...
Pigeon – Cold Tolerance
Q: Two months ago a white dove came to live on our porch. We’ve been feeding him and giving him water. Now that it is getting colder I worry that he will freeze. He is very friendly, walking with me...
Hickory Twig Girdler
Q: I have a young pecan tree. Over the last week we have found small limbs on the ground and the cut ends look like being chewed by a beaver. A: You have an infestation of hickory twig girdler. This...
Liriope – Propogation
Q: Can I propagate liriope from the fruit it produces ? A: Propagating liriope from seed is slow but it can be done. Soak the berries in warm water overnight then rub them in your hands to expel the seeds...
Stone Pine – Viability in East Cobb
Q: Can stone pine thrive in East Cobb County? Do any nurseries in this area sell them? A: Stone pine, Pinus pinea, has been an important source of food for humans and animals for thousands of years. It grows widely...
Nellie Stevens – Pollination
Q: You say on your website that Nellie Stevens holly needs a close-at-hand Edward Stevens pollinator for more fruit. How many feet away does Edward have to be from all my Nellies? A: Since hollies are pollinated by insects, “within...
Formosa Azaleas – Cold Tolerance
Q: Our landscape designer wants to put a hedge of Formosa azaleas in our back yard. Will they withstand our cold? A: There does seem to be a winter warming trend for Atlanta and environs. But just because it is...
Goldenrain Trees – Invasive Seed Pods
Q: We have five goldenrain trees across the front of our yard. They have beautiful seed pods but they are so light they blow all over, dropping seed as they go, and the seeds sprout in our flower beds. A:...
Witch Hazel – Telling if it’s Dried Out/Dead
Q: I have a witch hazel plant in a container. This summer while I was away the soil became completely dry and the leaves all turned brown. The leaves have not fallen off, but I haven’t seen any new growth,...
Abyssian Banana – Winterizing
Q: I have three Abyssinian banana trees in my yard. One of them is now ten feet tall alongside two smaller sprouts. I have a greenhouse that will hold the smaller two but not the tall one. How can I...
Kiwi Fruit – Ripening
Q: I have male and female kiwi vines and there’s a lot of fruit! How long does it take for them to ripen? A. The kiwi fruit you see in a grocery reach almost full size in August but are...
Crapemyrtle Aphids
Q: What ails my crepe myrtles? The leaves are already falling and those left on the trees are covered with a charcoal powder that stains everything underneath. A: You have crapemyrtle aphids. These tiny insects slowly build their population during...
Asiastic Jasmine – Invasive?
Q: We are trying to determine if Asiatic jasmine would be a suitable ground cover for the area between the trees that line our streets. It’s too shady and dry for grass. Is Asiatic jasmine deer-resistant? A: If left untended,...
Roots Around Plumbing Pipes – Invasive?
Q: A plumber told us we should move our tea olive tree, which is six feet from a joint in the sewer line. Are the roots very invasive? A: If the plumbing joint is plastic or cast iron, it should...
Praying Mantis – Feeding
Q: My husband found a baby praying mantis on his windshield. This guy is only an inch long; what can we feed this little critter? A: It needs soft-bodied insects like fruit flies or aphids. Try putting banana or apple...
