Gardening Q and A
Bromeliad – Care
Q: Several weeks ago a friend gave me a big bromeliad from her greenhouse. Its leaves are beginning to shrivel. I watered the soil when I potted it and I have been pouring water into the throat of the plant....
Japanese Beetle – Organic Control
Q: Is there any organic method to keep Japanese beetles off my plants? A: Insecticidal soap or products containing pyrethrin could be the answer for you. You’ll have to hit the insect directly with the spray – that can be...
Japanese Beetle – Chemical Control
Q: In you article two weeks ago, you said that you preferred hand-picking Japanese beetles and that we should never use traps. Well, I have too many beetles to hand-pick so what should I do? A: You’re right – some...
Wasps – Chewing on Furniture
Q: We have teak furniture on our patio which has never been oiled or stained. Recently, wasps have begun removing the upper, soft surface of the wood. We have contacted the manufacturer but they say they have no suggestions. Can...
Lawn – Scheduling Spring Applications
Q: We have bermudagrass in our front yard and fescue in the back. We have been served by a local lawn maintenance company for several years. They always want to start the new season with an application of pre-emergent and...
Septic Tank – Keeping Roots Out
Q: We have a septic tank in the back yard. I want to plant some Leyland cypress, for screening, and a dogwood for its flowers nearby. How close to the tank can I plant them? A: Septic tanks and their...
Juniper – Weed Control
Q: I am trying to control weeds and zoysiagrass in ‘Blue Rug’ juniper. What should I use? A: A quick answer is that you can simply dig them out but you’d better wear leather gloves and long pants if you...
Juniper – Pruning
Q: We have some huge junipers as a border around the house. They are now ten or twelve feet high and leaning to the point of almost falling over. They have become a lot larger than expected. We would like...
Earth Kind Roses – Sources
Q: I do have three ‘Knock Out’ roses and love them. Do know of a source that I could fine some of the other Earth Kind roses? A: Call your neighborhood nursery first. Locally, Autumn Hill Nursery in east Cherokee...
Aucuba – Care
Q: Last year I bought a bunch of Acubas. 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 green...
Clematis – Wilt
Q: I have a two-year old evergreen clematis that is climbing up over my garage. In the last couple of months it has started to turn brown at the ends of the vine and now all the leaves throughout are...
Pine Beetle – In Mulch
Q: I had some pines cut down because they had pine beetles. Should the tree be sprayed with insecticide? Is it safe to use the shredded limbs and chips as mulch? A: The infested pine tree trunks should be removed...
Woodpecker – Drumming on House
Q: We have a woodpecker pounding holes in our stucco house. What can we do? A: Owners of stucco and cedar-sided homes often report that woodpeckers bang on their exterior walls and gutters. The sharp “rattta – tat – tat”�...
Monthly Calendar – Adjusting
Q: A lot of us in other parts of Georgia read your monthly garden calendar. Could you tell us how to adjust your gardening hints to our area? A: SOUTH of Atlanta Since it gets hotter earlier and cooler later...
Fungicides – Sources
Q: I have collected these fungicide products and active ingredients that I might want to use in my landscape. Heritage = asoxystrobin Compass = trifoxystrobin Insignia = pyraclostrobin Banner Maxx = propiconazole Bayleton = triadimefon Eagle – myclobutanil ProStar =...
Oakleaf 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...
Walter Reeves – Are You Kin To……
Q: I ran a garden shop for Sears in Marietta in the mid 60′s. I was friends with Joe Reeves who ran the Ponce de Leon Sears Garden Shop,I feel sure he is your grandfather because you favor each other....
Wooly Pine Scale – Identification
Q: What is this stuff that looks like snow on my pine tree in Decatur in mid-summer? Should I do something about it? It looks fluffy and is sticky. When you pull some off it can be rolled up in...
