Gardening Q and A
Candlestick Plant – Identification
Q: A friend gave me this plant. She started it from seed and said the name had “candlestick” in it. Can you identify it and tell me how to care for it? A: Your friend is correct. You have a...
Roundup – Breakdown in Tap Water
Q: Several weeks ago you wrote about the half-life of insecticides after application. I assume that the same breakdown occurs in herbicides. Does the degeneration occur after mixing, or only after application? I have been mixing Roundup(tm) in five gallon...
Sago Palm – Care
Q: I’m thinking of planting eight or ten Sago Palms around the outside of my in-ground pool fence. Is this a good palm tree for the Clayton County area? I’m looking for a palm that does not grow too high...
Spiders – Black Widow Brown Recluse
Q: I recently found a black widow spider in my bathroom. Where did it come from? Do they nest in the attic or basement? A: Poisonous spiders populate the nightmares of many people. The combination of eight legs, venomous jaws...
Lycopodium – Ground Pine
Q: No one can tell me what this is. Can you shed some light on this mystery? A: Theresa Schrum says: “It’s one of the plants commonly and collectively known as ground pine (sometimes running cedar). The botanical name is...
Carolina lily
Q: I found this in my back yard in Lumpkin County. It just showed up this past summer. Is it a protected plant? Can I move it and if I can what type of soil and sun conditions should it...
Dracena – Air Layering
Q: I have a really tall corn plant. It nearly touches my ceiling. Can I divide it somehow to save it and to make a new plant? A: You can’t divide the corn plant unless it has a new stem...
Rose – Propagation
Q: I have an antique rose, ‘Clotilde Soupert’ to be specific. It is beautiful to look at and the flowers have a marvelous fragrance. It flowers from spring to fall. It is very healthy and has a good size. Is...
Plants – Heeling In
Q: We will be moving this winter and I have several plants that I would like to take with me. There are several rose bushes, Indian hawthorn, rhododendrons, azaleas, bulbs and a red twig dogwood. They are healthy and did...
Leaves – Using for Mulch
Q: I was raking up huge piles of leaves from our ever-struggling Midtown fescue lawn when it occurred to me how pointless and stupid this annual event is. After twenty years of planting, aerating, occasionally sodding, and finally just giving...
Tomato – Low Acid
Q: I have read that sprinkling baking soda around a tomato plant will make the fruit sweeter. How much baking soda should I use and how often. A: I don’t know where your tip came from but I strongly disagree....
Nematode – Control
Q: I grow tomatoes in one spot in my yard because it’s the only place that gets enough sun. I had a problem with nematodes last year. What can I do to kill them before I plant this spring? A:...
Powdery Mildew – Euonymus
Q: There are powdery spots all over the leaves of my euonymus. I believe this is called powdery mildew. If so, what can I do about it? A: The name of this disease exactly fits its description doesn’t it? Powdery...
Poison Ivy – Jewelweed Remedy
Q: I heard you on the radio tell about a native plant in the impatiens family that is a good treatment for poison ivy. Can you tell me the name of it so that I can get some and plant...
Treehoppers – Control
Q: I have these strange pests on the bottom of my sunflower leaves. We have searched high and low to find what they are. I would greatly appreciate it if you could identify them and tell me how I may...
Tomato – Blossom End Rot
Q: I have several tomato plants with tomatoes that are green and on the vine. On some, but not all of them, the tomato fruits have a big black spot on the bottom. I’m afraid this is a fungus that...
Tomato – Leaf Roll
Q: I planted a tomato six weeks ago and just recently the leaves have started to curl from side to side. Any idea what causes this? It seems to be doing well otherwise in its bushel basket filled with potting...
