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...
Hosta – Stem Rot
Q: I found this nasty disease on one of my hosta plants – apparently petiole rot. It seems odd to have this in summer drought conditions and (so far) only on one plant out of many, many hosta in my...
Potter Wasp – Identification
Q: This thing was on a branch of my Russian sage. It looks like a miniature vase/urn made of red clay. I could see there was something inside it and I suspected it was a larva/caterpillar/ whatever but, to my...
Hummingbird – White
Q: I wanted to share photos of a white hummingbird spotted at our feeder last night in Lawrenceville. I’ve never seen one before. Are they common? What is their official name? A: Several species of hummingbird live in Georgia part-time...
Ferns – Deer-resistant
Q: I am looking for ferns that are full sun tolerant and deer resistant. A: Deer don’t much care for ferns in general. I find Southern shield fern, Thelypteris kunthii, easy to grow in full sun if I water when...
Muscadine and Scuppernong – Propagating
Q: My grandfather passed away and he had a scuppernong, which he called a Scup Nuts Vine. Can you give me instructions on how to propagate it so I can save this sentimental plant? A: Muscadine and scuppernong vines are...
Fescue Decline – Caused by Hot Nights
Q: I seed, re-seed and fertilize my fescue lawn every year. I get beautiful grass every spring until early summer and the heat kills it. The yard is mostly sunny all day. What do I do? A: Look at it...
Lawn Zombies – Control
Q: I caught your radio advice to control zombies in a lawn by pitching them headfirst into a wood chipper. Is there an organic option for control? A: My radio staff members, Ashley Frasca and Scott Maxim, are crack zombie...
Japanese Maple – Growing a Vigorous Green Top
Q: My Japanese maple started growing in a different direction. It took me a while to actually go close and see that I think there is a graft and now it’s like I have two different trees. Should I cut...
Leyland Cypress – Seed Cones
Q: I have some young Leyland cypresses. One of them has clusters of what look like small green spiked balls. Is this a gall? A: Ah ha! They’re just the seed cones of Leyland cypress. If you carefully slice into...
Confederate Jasmine – Pruning
Q: I made the mistake a few years ago of underestimating the abundant growth of honeysuckle and star jasmine. I planted small plants of each on both sides of a swing. I have tried to trim and control the growth...
Snake – On Hummingbird Feeder
Q: I was surprised to find this unwelcome visitor on my hummingbird feeder. At least one hummer was, too, when it came face to face with the snake! What kind of snake is it? Was it after the birds? I...
Deer Damage vs Rabbit Damage to Stems
Q: I have two pots of Gerber daisies in my backyard. One is located right next to my wooden deck and the other is located 15 feet away. I can only enjoy the blooms on the pot that is located...
Black Cherry – Identification
Q: Can you tell from the pictures attached whether or not this a cherry tree ?? I looked at several pictures on line but the leaves of this tree don’t appear to be exactly like the pictures that I looked...
Dobsonfly (Hellgramite) – Identification
Q: We found this insect on our property in Dawsonville. Any idea what it could be? A: Nice photo!! It’s a male dobsonfly, an unusual insect found near mountain streams. I can see one in your photo background. I know...
‘Limelight’ Hydrangea – Container
Q: I have two Limelight hydrangea trees on my patio that were purchased in April. After a heavy rain, one is drooping severely, like it’s still soaking wet, while the other one looks to be straightening back up. Have the...
Aspirin – To Combat Plant Disease
Q: You say on your website that aspirin can prevent disease on tomato plants. Where can I find more information about the process? A: Scientists have known for several years that certain compounds can signal a plant to defend itself...
Catalpa Worm – Identification
Q: The ugly Catalpa tree at our Nearly Native Nursery has always had the fish bait worms. We have several customers who have purchased trees from us but still no worms for them. How do they attract them? A: Catalpa...
Tomato – “Horns” and “Nose”
Over the years I have received several pictures of oddly-shaped tomatoes. They had “horns” and I couldn’t figure out why. Now Dr. Joe Kemble at Auburn University has finally laid it out for me: It is a physiological/genetic disorder. With...
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...
