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...
Zoysia – Planting Sod
Kill all weeds by spraying the area with a non-selective weed killer two weeks before planting. • Till the soil thoroughly to a depth of six inches, mixing in the recommended amount of lime and fertilizer (1-800-ASKUGA-1) • If you...
Zoysia – Plant From Seed
Zoysiagrass seed is usually planted in May or June. Keep in mind that it is typical to get only 75 percent coverage in the first year in full sun. Establishing zoysiagrass from seed in shade is fruitless. If you plan...
Zoysia – Mowing
The first step in good mowing is to have a sharp blade. If the blade has not been sharpened in the past year, it needs to be sharpened or replaced. Dull blades whip the grass ends rather than cutting the...
Zoysia – Liming
An important factor in plant growth is the soil acidity level. This is measured in terms of a pH scale which is graduated from 0 to 14 with 7 being neutral. Any number below 7.0 is considered acid with 5.0...
Zoysia – Greenup Problems
Notes from Dr. Gil Landry and Dr. Clint Waltz Turfgrass Extension Specialists The University of Georgia The following are common problems associated with zoysiagrass green- up that have been observed in spring. 1) Mowing height: This appears to be the...
Zoysia – General Notes
Information taken from The Revised Georgia Gardener’s Guide Walter Reeves and Erica Glasener Zoysiagrass is a slow-growing but extremely thick and durable turfgrass. The grass is well adapted throughout the lower two-thirds of the state. It spreads by above-ground stolons...
Zoysia – Dethatching
Thatch is a layer of partially decomposed plant material that builds up on the soil’s surface. Usually, more than one half inch of thatch on general turf areas decreases the turf vigor by restricting movement of air, water and fertilizers...
Zoysia – BK-7 Variety
When turf companies market a brand new grass without submitting it to long-term University trials in Georgia, I’m at a loss to know whether to recommend their grass for use by homeowners. In the summer of 2005 I asked for...
Zoysia – Amazoy
I recently received a question from a reader in Cherokee County. She and her husband had seen an advertisement for a particular zoysiagrass that promised a wonderful appearance but little maintenance. “It sounds wonderful if it really works” she said....
Zoysia – Aerating
The best time to aerate zoysiagrass is in early summer, when the grass is growing rapidly. On very compacted soils, aerating twice a year would not be out of the question. Apply fertilizer and water after aerating so the turf...
Large Patch Disease – In Zoysia
The following was written by University of Georgia Researchers in October, 2006 Fall Management of Large Patch in Turfgrass Alfredo Martinez and Lee Burpee Plant Pathology Department, UGA In spring of 2006, numerous zoysiagrass samples were submitted to the University...
Is ‘Emerald’ Zoysiagrass Really ‘Emerald?’
Turf specialist Dr. Clint Waltz doesn’t think so. Over the years homeowners have noticed a marked difference in the greenup dates between different lawns that are all supposed to be ‘Emerald’. Using genetic analysis, Dr. Waltz found that some sods...
Watersaver RTF – Homeowner Comments
When turf companies market a brand new grass without submitting it to long-term University trials in Georgia, I’m at a loss to know whether to recommend their grass for use by homeowners. In the summer of 2005 I asked for...
Titan fescue – Homeowner Comments
When turf companies market a brand new grass without submitting it to long-term University trials in Georgia, I’m at a loss to know whether to recommend their grass for use by homeowners. In the summer of 2005 I asked for...
Fescue – Yellow Patches in Fall & Winter
Yellow patches in fescue lawns that were planted this fall are not signs of disease. The seedlings are yellow because cold temperatures stopped photosynthesis. A few warm days in mid-December will kick-start the growth process and the yellow patches will...
Fescue – Wheat Sprouts
Q: I planted seed three weeks ago. The grass has come up nicely but there are some tall sprouts that are twice as big as the rest of the grass. What are they? A: Did you use wheat straw to...
Fescue – Weeds
Because fescue tends to thin out in summer, it can become overgrown with weeds in a few years. Mowing fescue too low is an excellent way to invite weeds to grow! Weed control occurs in two ways: by preventing the...
Fescue – Watering
The best time to water a lawn is in the morning, preferably before noon. This allows the grass to dry before nightfall, reducing the risk of disease. Take into account recent rainfall when deciding how much to apply. Watering restrictions...
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...
