Costa Rica Trip – 2012
I had a great time with a group of 38 folks, including gardeners, spouses and friends, on a trip to Costa Rica in January 2012. We visited gardens, rode zip lines, stayed in fabulous hotels and saw innumerable bromeliads and orchids plus the jungle-like rain forest. I had so much...
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 unless it is severely pruned. Crapemyrtles do not HAVE TO...
Planting Pansies
Few plants create color in a winter landscape better than pansies. Given a mid-October planting, pansies laugh at temperatures in the ‘teens. They are even known to bloom after a winter snowstorm. Growers produce 50 million pansies each year for the North Georgia market. Now is the time to concentrate...
Fescue Planting – 1-2-3
It is not as important as you think it is, but I know your first thought is what fescue seed to buy. Read this: Choosing a Fescue Variety and then come back. Even in a drought, fescue can be planted IF THE SEED HAS GOOD SEED TO SOIL CONTACT. The...
Join Walter on Facebook
See that little blue Facebook icon over to the right? If you click on it you will be taken to the Facebook homepage. I’ve found Facebook to be a great way to send you quick garden tips during the week. I try to send one every day or so. If...
Golden Euonymus – Turning Green
Q: Do you have any idea why my Golden Euonymus is green, not yellow? It seems otherwise healthy. A:You are just seeing a reversion of the golden leaves back to their green parentage. First noticed many years ago, all golden...
Dihydrogen Monoxide – Using on Plants
When I mentioned on radio that I had found nothing better than dihydrogen monoxide to keep my Christmas tree fresh, I was deluged with requests for a source. Fortunately, there are several vendors of this miraculous liquid in the metro...
School Garden – Resources
If you’re a teacher or parent involved in setting up a school garden, you know there’s lots more to it than digging the dirt and planting some seeds. Do you have a good garden spot? When will you plant? What...
Pieris – Lacebug Damage
Q: I have been losing some Mountain Fire pieris. They start off fine but then the color of the leaves change from a dark green to green with lighter “splotches”. A: Excellent pix of lacebug damage! Azaleas get these most...
Tree – How to Plant on Slope
Q: From the street to my house is a pretty steep slope. I want to plant a Yoshino cherry as a feature there. Rather than planting it on the hill, I wanted to do an island that has a small...
Marlberry (Ardisia) – Growing
Q: I am trying to find a local source for Chirimen Marlberry to use as a ground cover. I found two at a nursery several months ago but cannot find any more Any ideas? A: I haven’t grown marlberry but...
A Gardener’s Thanksgiving – Prayer
Q: Any chance you could repost the “Gardener’s Thanksgiving” from your radio show? I loved it! A: Your wish is my command! A Gardener’s Thanksgiving (pdf file) A Gardener’s Thanksgiving Let us give thanks for a bounty of people: For...
Mulch Leaves – Don’t Rake
Q: I am tired of raking! Is there any reason I can’t shred lawn leaves with my mower and not rake them into piles for removal? A: There are two good reasons to let your mower do the work. One...
Polyphemus Moth – Coccoon
Q: I found this “nest” attached to a branch of a crape myrtle. I thought at first that it was some type of hummingbird nest, but my research doesn’t substantiate that. A: University of Georgia insect expert Lisa Ames says:...
Flowers – Cold-Hardiness
Frost resistance of annual flowers. * Very hardy flowers can withstand freezing temperatures and hard frosts for short periods without injury. They may be planted as soon as the ground can be prepared, usually 4 to 6 weeks before the...
Vegetables – Cold Damage
Vegetable crops differ in their hardiness to cold temperatures, depending upon their genetics and origin. Warm season crops, such as tomatoes, snap beans, and the cucurbits originated in tropical areas and can be severely injured by even a light frost....
Black Nightshade – Poisonous?
Q: My toddler ate a berry from this plant. Is it poisonous? A: Black nightshade is Solanum nigrum. Several members of the Solanum family are considered poisonous to some degree….but tomatoes and potatoes are in this family, so not...
Tomato – Fall Harvest
Q: Our fall tomato crop has been great! They made it through the hot summer and we cut them back, thinking they were done. They started growing and blooming again! A: Your experience is the same as mine. I’ve discovered...
Holly – Scale Insects
Q: I have two holly bushes in the front of the house that are 7 feet tall. This year they have a black coating on the leaves. The affected areas are about 20 to 30 percent of the bushes. I...
Turnip – White Spot Disease
Q: I have grown Purple Top turnips for many years without problems. This year though, issues have arisen. I first noticed a few small spots developing on the foliage. It has now spread throughout the entire crop. I can’t figure...
Indian Pipe – Fragrant
Q: I found these in pine mixed woods. Their fragrance was striking. There were two small patches, each about 1 ft. sq.. As we walked up on them, a very noticeable floral, appealing aroma was present. When I picked one...
Lime – Using Fast-acting Type
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...
UGA Lawn Publications
Following are some useful UGA lawn publications: Basics of Turfgrass Fertilization Bermudagrass Control in Southern Lawns Bermudagrass Lawn Management Bermudagrass in Georgia Best Management Practices for Landscape Water Conservation Centipede Lawns Centipedegrass Decline Controlling Moss and Algae in Turf Cool-Season...
UGA Insect Publications
Following are useful publications from UGA concerning insects: 2011 Southeastern Peach, Nectarine and Plum Pest Management and Culture Guide A Parent’s Guide to the ‘Nitty-Gritty’ about Head Lice A School’s Guide to the ‘Nitty-Gritty’ about Head Lice Africanized Honey Bees...
UGA Plant Disease Publications
Following are useful plant disease publications from UGA: Azalea Diseases Camellia Diseases Cane Blight of Blackberry Centipedegrass Decline Christmas Tree Diseases Common Landscape Diseases in Georgia Common Tomato Diseases in Georgia Diagnostic Guide to Common Home Orchard Diseases Disease Control...
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 The University of Georgia...
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...
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...
Ultrasonic – Pest Repelling Devices
It seems ingrained in the genes of mankind to invent ways accomplish a useful task while expending very little physical effort. The TV remote control is the epitome of this enterprise in my home but microwave ovens, automatic ice makers...
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...
Lawn – Growing in Shade
OK. I admit it. I have given up. I came to the conclusion last fall 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...
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...
Millipede – Control
Spring rains often bring creatures which are not seen at other times of the year. The millipede is one of those cyclical pests. Here is a typical question: Q: Last spring We had hundreds of millipedes scurrying through our house...
