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...
Greenhouse – Temperature Control
Q: I have wanted a greenhouse for a long time and the time has come to get one. Do I need a heater in my greenhouse? I want to overwinter many of my plants there. A: If your greenhouse is...
Tomatoes – Bird Problems
Q: We have beautiful tomatoes but as soon as they begin to show color, they are pecked at by birds. Is there anything we can do? A: I suppose bird netting is a possibility but the easiest thing to do...
Spinning Primrose – Winter Preparation
Q: I was given a spinning Persian primrose that blooms in the evening, just as it’s getting dark. What do I do with the stalks during the winter? A: Spinning primrose, Oenothera biennis, is also known as evening primrose. It...
Kiwi Vine – Sex Determination
Q: I’ve had a kiwi vine growing great for six years, but no kiwis! I’ve learned I need a male and female vine. How do I know what sex I have? A: If your fuzzy kiwi vines flower, it’s not...
Compost Pile – Lemon Rinds
Q: Will fresh lemon rinds hurt my compost pile? A: Not at all. Anything that was previously a plant can be composted and the resulting humus can be incorporated into garden beds. Folks commonly compost banana peels, coffee grounds and...
Lawn – Funnel Weaver Spider Webs
Q: My neighbor has hundreds of small spider webs all over his lawn after a rain. Any idea what those webs are? A: They are probably the webs of funnel weaver spiders. They are completely harmless and indeed eat aphids,...
Hardwoods – Cicadas
Q: In the last couple of months we have noticed foot-long ends of limbs on our hardwoods turning brown and falling off. Do you know what is going on? A: Remember back in May when you heard the constant shriek...
Squash – Protection
Q: Squash borers decimated my squash plants this year. Can I plant more this year or should I consider it a bust? Kimberly Hardy, e-mail A: Summer squash only take 50 – 60 days from planting to harvest so you...
Asparagus – Transplanting
Q: My daughter is moving away. Is it feasible to transplant her asparagus plants to my garden now? A: Before you go to lots of trouble, try to determine what variety they are. If they are ‘Mary Washington’ or ‘Martha...
Corn – Ants
Q: I have some ants that are congregating at the top of my corn tassels. I’ve seen that mineral oil may rid me of them; your thoughts? A: Ants congregate on corn to eat honeydew from aphids and sometimes to...
Crepe Myrtle – Dwarf
Q: You mentioned on radio a crepe myrtle that would stay short instead of growing into a tree. I’m looking for something that I can keep around four feet tall. A: ‘Chicasaw’ , ‘Pokomoke’ and the Petite series are all...
Cedar Tree – Berries
Q: What are the blue/gray berries on cedar trees now? A: They are the seed cones, which most folks call cedar berries. Each one contains a couple of hard seeds. Birds love the seeds of redcedar and scatter them far...
Mowing Heights for Lawns
Mowing Height for Lawn Grasses in Georgia Mow your lawn when the actual grass height exceeds the recommended height by one-third. For example, mow fescue when it grows to 4 inches tall. The easiest way to measure grass height is...
Honey – For Allergies
Q: I’m having terrible allergies this year and I’m being forced to stay indoors. I’ve been told to find locally grown raw honey to eat daily. Where could I get some? A: Although this is widespread homespun advice, the allergy...
Yucca Plants – Seeding
Q: I have several yucca plants that have finished blooming and have left behind stalks of seed pods. How do I plant the seed? A: Frankly, it might be easier to look under your existing plants and dig out small...
Peppers – Storing
Q: I harvest hot peppers and air dry them throughout the growing season. In the fall I grind them and store them in jars. Recently I noticed small worms in one jar and moth-like insects in an other. What can...
Centipede Grass – Fertilizing After Sodding
Q: I sodded my yard with centipede grass on June 15th. When should I apply fertilizer? A: Your centipedegrass can be fertilized when it is firmly rooted to the underlying soil. In practical terms this is usually when you’ve had...
Mimosa Sprouts
Q: I grew up in New Orleans and we had mimosa trees. I have several random sprouts in my yard but I don’t think they will grow into a real tree anytime soon. A: Mimosas easily grow here but despite...
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...
