Italy Trip Report – 2013
In May of 2013 I led a group of adventurous and inquisitive gardeners (and their spouses) to the southern coast of Italy and the island of Sicily. We had a wonderful time: lots of great food, beautiful gardens, historic sites and good companionship! Following is my report on the trip,...
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 – 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...
Pruning Tomato Limbs on the Ground
Q: Does it hurt to cut off lower limbs of tomato plants that are on the ground? A: It’s no problem at all and you may avoid disease problems by doing so. Early blight is a common tomato disease that...
Plant Names – Crapemyrtle
Q: I noticed in a recent column that you spelled the name of a particular Southern plant “crapemyrtle”, not “crepe myrtle” or “crape myrtle”. I thought the name was two words. A: Every garden writer tries to be consistent in...
Peonies – Transplanting
Q: My peonies have outgrown the place where I planted them. I would love to transplant them now but everything I have read says to wait until Oct. A: If the clump is so big that it needs dividing, I’d...
Oak Tree – Bark Shedding
Q: In the last few weeks, we have noticed that oak trees are shedding their bark profusely. The bark is simply falling off the trees in bits and pieces. What is happening to our wonderful trees? A: There are two...
Soil Testing – When to retest
Q: I had my soil tested last fall and the report said that my soil was deficient in phosphorus and potassium. I used 10-10-10 for the first fertilization. When should I retest? A: It takes a while for nutrients to...
Bamboo Removal
Q: We would like to get rid of bamboo in our yard. The previous owners planted the bamboo as a privacy screen. Can we dig it out? A: You can control it by digging but it will be a miserable...
New Garden – Planting in Georgia
Q: We have moved back to Georgia and are planting a new garden. I need help with the layout for a 30 foot x 50 foot garden. A: Planting a new garden is an enjoyable adventure but it’s easy 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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
