Shrubs
Oaks Took Out Some Of My Shrubs – Will The Shrubs Grow Again?
Q: We had two enormous oaks in our front yard taken out and several mature azalea, ligustrum, mahonia, and elaeagnus shrubs were damaged. Most are coming back from the roots Will the new growth produce good-looking shrubs eventually? A: I...
Can I Start Gardenia Bushes By Planting Seed Pods?
Q: Can I start gardenia bushes by planting seed pods? A: Gardenia seed pods are easy to spot in winter because they are typically bright orange or red. Each one contains several small seeds. You can try germinating them indoors...
Best Way To Prune Redtips?
Q: I have inherited a yard with thirty-foot-high redtips that tower over the driveway. I would like to prune them back so they grow into a short bush. What is the best way to do this? A: Generally speaking, if...
How Can I Prop My Fig Bush Up?
Q: My fig bush was so heavy with figs they pulled the limbs almost to the ground. Can they be propped back up? A: One of the ways that edible fig plants (as well as other species of fig) compete...
Why Won’t Red Tips Grow In Atlanta?
Q: I saw a big healthy red tip photinia hedge outside the Royal Automoble Club in Epsom, England. If red tips will grow in England, why won’t they grow in Atlanta? A: Photinia will grow here fine, with regular maintenance....
Fertilizer Recommendations
Q: Most of the bushes in my yard have fertilizer recommendations of 10-10-10. For many years I’ve used liquid 10-10-10, mixing it with water from my rain barrel, but I can not longer find it. What do you recommend instead?...
How Do I Tell The Sex Of My Yaupon Holly Bush?
Q: We have several five-year-old yaupon holly bushes. They seem to be healthy but have never produced berries. I have read that there needs to be a male bush nearby, but how do I tell what sex I have? A:...
Second Fertilization With A Kelp Product
Q: Following a pruning of our camellia hedge the professionals did a deep root fertilization and recommended a second fertilization with a kelp product. What do you think? A: The use of biostimulants (including humic substances, seaweed extracts, and beneficial...
Are Butterfly Bushes Invasive?
Q: On your website you write that butterfly bush is a good plant to attract butterflies. While that is true, the Georgia Department of Agriculture says butterfly bush is showing signs of becoming invasive. A: I know that other states...
Butterfly Bush – Invasive or Not
Q: On your website you write that butterfly bush is a good plant to attract butterflies. While that is true, the Georgia Department of Agriculture says butterfly bush is showing signs of becoming invasive. A: I know that other states...
Crapemyrtle – Pruning
One of the most confounding arguments I face is whether and how to prune crapemyrtles. They are mercilessly “murdered” by unaware landscapers and homeowners each winter… yet they still bloom in summer. Some people even believe a crapemyrtle won’t bloom...
Shrub – Pruning Calendar
The Home & Garden section of the Atlanta Journal and Constitution published a very nice pruning calendar several years ago. When viewed on a sheet of newsprint, it was gorgeous. When reduced to fit onto a sheet of typing paper...
Boxwood – Alternative Shrubs
Boxwood blight has had devastating effects on several metro Atlanta landscapes. If yours has suffered, there are alternative shrubs to consider for replacement. Thinking Outside the...
Chinese Snowball – White Flowered Shrubs
Q: What are these enormous white-flowered hydrangea shrubs I see around town? They must be ten feet tall! A: Since it is early May, I’ll bet you are seeing Chinese snowball viburnum, not one of the white-flowered hydrangeas. It’s an...
HOW TO TRANSPLANT SHRUBS
Back during the summer, my wife and I threw a big party to celebrate the end of remodeling our kitchen and sunroom. In honor of the occasion, I invited two people who knew my house “way back when”. Dottie Myers,...
Panicle Hydrangea – Identification and Pruning
Panicle hydrangea, Hydrangea paniculata, is an excellent flowering shrub for late summer and fall. There is one particular variety of panicle hydrangea called Hydrangea paniculata ‘Grandiflora’….which many gardeners abbreviate to PeeGee hydrangea in referring to all of the panicle hydrangeas....
Viburnum – Pollination
Although hollies are better-known for their berries, viburnum shrubs can also have striking fruit each fall. Two of the best fruiting viburnums are tea viburnum, Viburnum setigerum and Linden viburnum, Viburnum dilatatum. Just as with hollies, good pollination produces best...
Viburnum – Distinguishing Snowball-type
As if gardeners didn’t have enough confusion sorting out plants which are not roses, but have rose in their name (rose of Sharon, rose moss, Confederate rose, etc), we also must distinguish between “snowball” viburnums. Chinese snowball viburnum is Viburnum...
