UGA Vegetable Gardening Publications
With food prices high, folks have been thinking about growing some of their own food. Food gardening is not hard and it doesn’t have to take much room in your landscape. You can even do it in containers! These gardening publications are available on the Internet or ask for a...
Shrub – Transplanting 1-2-3
Most shrubs and trees should be transplanted when the demand for water is least, in late fall or winter. Since many roots will inevitably be lost, they need many weeks to regenerate themselves before the hot, dry blasts of summer arrive. If you are contemplating moving a plant that would...
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 it was impossible to read. I imagine you didn’t keep...
South Africa Adventure – 2014
As many of you know, I led a group of gardeners and spouses to South Africa in 2010. The memories of that vibrant, beautiful, surprising country still linger in my brain! We had such a good time I’ve decided to lead another group trip there in January, 2014. Want to...
New Gardening Books
I regularly receive interesting-looking gardening books from publishers. I don’t have time to read them all or give an intelligent review but I know they would appeal to many gardeners. These are some of the books I’ve gotten recently. You can click the link under the book cover images to...
Importing Plants – From Overseas
Q: I have taught in Japan for almost fourteen years. I have always wanted to bring back some clippings or plants from there to here. Do you know where I might find information on the...
Lawn Seed – Utility Companies
Q: I’m about to “fill in” a lawn at my new house and have a question. I notice that when the utility companies finish a project they spread seed and hay and walk away from the area. They plant this...
Photinia – Pruning
Q: When is the best time to trim my red tip photinia shrubs back? Mine was really nice until the last couple of years. I think their decline was caused by cutting them back at the wrong time. Any tips?...
Hydrangea – Growing Florist Type
Q: I’ve had a florist hydrangea in a pot for a year. Should I keep it on the deck or can it join the other “ladies” in the garden? A: Hydrangeas grown for the florist trade are somewhat different from...
Lawn Fertilizer – Using Beer
Q: A friend told me about a trick he uses to keep a beautiful green yard. He mixes and applies one part each of the following: ammonia, lemon-scented dish detergent, beer and Coke (not Pepsi!). Is this true? Will it...
Iris – Leaf Spot
Q: I have many brown spots on the leaves of my iris. Can you tell me how to rectify the situation? A: Iris leaf spot is a common malady of iris. The brown spots are inconspicuous until flowers appear. Afterwards...
Graywater – Defined
Q: I have been reclaiming water I use to rinse vegetables in order to water my containers and other plants. Is this acceptable or does it fall under the same watering ban as outdoor sprinklers/watering? A: This is my own...
Bucket Gardening – Vegetables
Q: Can you tell me about bucket gardening? I have many five gallon buckets and want to raise vegetables in buckets. What type of soil should I use? A: Gardening in five-gallon buckets is a great way to raise vegetables...
Cedar Trees – Fence lines
Q: A lot of times I see cedar trees growing on fences lines. Can you tell me why? A: Can you say endozoochorous? Neither can I. But scientists who CAN pronounce the word know that seeds distributed in the feces...
Cigarette Beetle – Control
Q: My kitchen has been invaded by tiny little brownish-black bugs. They have a hard shell that “crunches” when you smash them. They get in cereal, baking goods, etc. They also get into the dog treats and can leave one...
Onion – Not the Same as Shallot
Q: Could you please tell me if shallots and green onions are the same thing. Is it only a difference in regional names? A: According to author and garden raconteur Felder Rushing, “Shallots (Allium cepa var. aggregatum) are related to...
Easter Egg Plant
Q: Someone gave me seeds for an Easter Egg Plant. In the spring it had blooms, then small white seed pods which grew to the size of a small egg. In August they turned yellow and now they are turning...
Carolina Snailseed – Identification
Q: I have noticed an interesting vine growing on a fence near my house. It has bright red berries hanging in clusters from the stem. The leaves look vaguely like smilax or large-leaf vinca. Do you know what it is?...
Cactus – Winter-hardy
Q: Is there a list of cactus that will grow here in Atlanta? If so how can I get it and where can I get them? A: According to Randy Kucera, eponymous owner of Randy’s Perennials and Greenhouse in Lawrenceville,...
Lombardy Poplar – Not Recommended
Q: Two weeks ago you mentioned problems planting Lombardy poplar. I thought you might like to know that it is against the City of Atlanta tree ordinance to plant Lombardy poplars on city property. A: Indeed you are correct. Both...
Peanuts – Boiled
Q: I love boiled peanuts. I bought ten or fifteen pounds from a favorite vendor on my way to a University of South Carolina football game. I kept them on ice or in a refrigerator until I got back home....
Zoysiagrass – for Shade
Q: We had new zoysiagrass sod laid in our backyard this summer. We chose zoysiagrass as we were told that it will grow in the shade. In the worst shady spots, the grass has completely died and our landscaper recommends...
Spiders – In Garden
Q: I have a small vegetable garden with a couple tomato and cucumber plants. I have a lot of little spiders running around the garden and in the grass all over the yard. I also found a mound of tiny...
Weeds – Identification with Pictures
Weed control in the landscape is a tough business. You have to know a lot about the weed in question just to get started! As in most situations, a picture is worth a thousand words. Websites Preen has terrific weed...
Diagnosing Holes in the Yard
Sometimes many heads are better than one when it comes to solving a problem. Wade Hutcheson, my Extension colleague in Spalding county, gets plenty of calls from the citizens of his area asking his help in identifying various holes in...
Brown Patch – Diagnosing
You have brown patches of dead grass in your lawn. Is it the common lawn disease ‘brown patch’ or is it something else? The answer is important: if it is brown patch you probably need to spray with a fungicide....
Bermuda – Weed Control
BASIC INFORMATION: Weed Identification Pictures General Turf and Weed Info Lawn Care Calendars THREE METHODS There are three primary methods of controlling weeds. Any one method, when used alone, will not usually control all of your weeds. To consistently control...
Lawn – Timing Pre-emergent Herbicide
One of the sourest phrases that can be directed at a child or adult is “I told you so!” Whether you touch a hot match, leave tools out in the rain or lift cinder blocks all afternoon, someone is usually...
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...
Lawn – Growing in Shade
OK. I admit it. I have given up. I came to the conclusion that grass just would not grow in the corner of my lawn near the ornamental cherry trees. The shade there is so dense that my grass, no...
Lawn – Leveling
A new home in my neighborhood had bermudagrass sod planted in March. By May, one area was a perfect checkerboard of straight lines, composed of weedy plants, surrounding the individual squares of sod. Evidently the sod installers were in such...
Bermuda Grass – Disease – Brown Patch
Brown patch is most prevalent on bermudagrass which has been heavily fertilized when night temperatures are above 68 degrees and day temperature are above 80 degrees. Dead patches of grass may start small but can grow and join together to...
St. Augustine Grass Seed – Where to Buy
Q: Please tell me where I can buy St. Augustine grass seeds. Our lawn has some now and we like it a lot, but we’re having trouble finding seeds. A: You can’t buy St. Augustinegrass seed. The plant is very...
