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...
Branch Spreaders on a Mountain Ash
Q: What is your opinion about using branch spreaders to increase the crotch angle between the trunk and branches that are growing more upright than horizontal on a mountain ash tree? Is it a good idea or just a waste...
Confederate Jasmine Vines – Growth in Containers
Q: We want to use Confederate jasmine vines to grow up and trail over our garage doors. Can we successfully grow them in pots? A: Confederate jasmine can be quite robust so I’d opt for the biggest container you can...
Citronella Plants – Do not repel mosquitoes
Q: How many citronella plants are needed for maximum mosquito protection in a backyard? A: Despite the claims, citronella plants do not repel mosquitoes. Citronella grass, Cymbopogon nardus, and citrosa (scented geranium) contain citronella oil, which does repel mosquitoes. However,...
Liriope – Pruning
Q: The liriope our subdivision entrance has not been cut back and looks tattered. Is May too late in the year to prune it back? A: I wouldn’t mow it down now but if it’s not a terribly big patch...
Japanese Maple – Small Root Ball
Q: I planted a scrawny Japanese maple two years ago, digging a hole only a little bigger that the root ball. Now I’m worried it will not grow well due to the hard soil around the roots. Any options? A:...
Crepemyrtle – Fragrance
Q: Are there any fragrant varieties of crepe myrtles? A: Some gardeners claim to detect a faint scent (‘Apalachee’ and ‘Near East’ are said to have a pleasing fragrance) but I don’t believe any crapemyrtle could be called “fragrant”. In...
10-10-10 Fertilizer – Tomatoe Planting
Q: If using 10-10-10 fertilizer, what is the correct amount to use when planting a tomato? A: You don’t need much, perhaps a teaspoon of 10-10-10 at planting. When the plant starts setting fruit, apply three Tbsp. per plant. Repeat...
Floating Row Cover – Where to buy
Q: Where can I buy the floating row cover for vine borer moth prevention? A: Call your local nursery; I’ve seen it recently at several of them. Also called “freeze cloth”, this lightweight material can be draped over young squash...
Giant Pumpkins – Tips for Growth
Q: Do you have any tips for growing giant pumpkins? A friend sent me and other people packets of his giant pumpkin seeds as a Christmas gift. We are all going to compete and decide the winner at year’s end....
Recent Tornado Damage – Pine Trees
Q: My brother’s home had many pine trees around it that were snapped at varying heights by the recent tornadoes. Will these trees have to be taken down or is there any way they can survive? A: They will have...
Fan Sound – Cicada Call
Q: This week I heard a sound coming from the woods that sounds like a fan running with a bearing that needs oil. It is loud enough that you can hear it from several hundred yards. Any ideas? A: I’m...
Overseeding Bermudagrass
Q: Our home was sodded with bermuda six years ago but we’ve neglected it since then. We’d like to bring it back. Can it be overseeded with bermuda seed to thicken it up? A: You can overseed a thin bermudagrass...
Butterfly Japanese Maple – Unusual leaf color
Q: I purchased a Butterfly Japanese maple tree last fall. However, there are a few leaves sprouting that do not look like its normal delicate pale green leaves trimmed in cream and pink. They are big and green. A: ‘Butterfly’ Japanese...
Cherry Laurel – Pruning
Q: I have several ‘Bright and Tight’ cherry laurels that I planted last spring. Last fall I noticed they had lost a lot of leaves. This spring there is new growth but it is only on the tips of each...
Narrow and Spindly broccoli heads
Q: I have put a lot of composted horse manure and chicken manure in my garden and everything seems to be growing very well. The broccoli I planted last year are growing very lush and thick, with huge, healthy green...
Rhubarb – Harvesting stalks
Q: My rhubarb plants have suddenly produced a tall shoot with a flower on the top. Does this mean I can no longer eat the stalks? A: You’re lucky to have rhubarb to consider eating. This perennial vegetable struggles to...
Fern Caterpillar Prevention
Q: I have Boston ferns on my front porch every summer. In the middle of the summer I get fern caterpillars. Do you have any suggestions to prevent them? A: These caterpillars come from eggs laid on the fern by...
Cotton Burr Compost – Georgia
Q: I recently returned from Kansas and brought back some cotton burr compost. I’ve read this is excellent for gardens, although it’s very stinky. Why can’t I find it in the Atlanta area? A: University of Georgia cotton expert Guy...
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...
