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...
Oregano, Greek
Origanum heracleoticum (True Greek Oregano) taken from The Georgia Fruit and Vegetable Book by Walter Reeves and Felder Rushing Oregano is an easily grown semi-hardy perennial that will reach 18 inches in height. Cooks flavor Mexican and Mediterranean dishes with...
Dill
Anethum graveolens taken from The Georgia Fruit and Vegetable Book by Walter Reeves and Felder Rushing Dill is a common herb that has a place in every garden because of its many culinary uses. Just a few plants provide enough...
Fennel, Finocchio
Foeniculum vulgare Foeniculum vulgare var. dulce taken from The Georgia Fruit and Vegetable Book by Walter Reeves and Felder Rushing Fennel is a European herb known for its aromatic seeds and tender, fragrant leaves. This herb has a wonderful anise-like...
Hyssop
Hyssopus officinalis taken from The Georgia Fruit and Vegetable Book by Walter Reeves and Felder Rushing A native of southern Europe and Asia, hyssop has been used for centuries as a flavoring in soups, stews, or teas and may be...
Lavender
Lavandula spp. taken from The Georgia Fruit and Vegetable Book by Walter Reeves and Felder Rushing Perennial. English Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) is the best known but least adapted to growing in the Southeast. Look for hybrids such as ‘Dutch’, ‘Provence’...
Lemon Balm
Melissa officinalis taken from The Georgia Fruit and Vegetable Book by Walter Reeves and Felder Rushing Perennial. Thomas Jefferson grew Lemon Balm in his garden at Monticello. This upright plant (24 inches) has hairy, square, branched stems. The dark green...
Crapemyrtle Pruning – Art Morris’ Comments
I think we all agree that the preferable treatment for a crape is to plant in the right place and let it go. Pollarding is intended to remove only the annual sprouts from a pollard head, and is done correctly...
Crapemyrtle Pruning – Shannon Pable’s Comments
“Here’s how I look at it: “For pollarding, you cut above the last pollarded cut; i.e. cut the newer wood and avoid cutting into the older wood…leaving some existing lateral branching. By cutting into the older wood you would increase...
Beet
Beta vulgaris Garden beets are closely related to sugar beets and to Swiss chard. All are the same species and are members of the goosefoot family. Beets originated in the maritime regions of Europe, and gardeners hybridized them in Germany...
Crapemyrtle Cultivars
Crape myrtles are one of the most beautiful and carefree flowering plants of the Southern landscape. There are many different cultivars, with different flower colors and growing heights. This publication from the University of Georgia gives information on crape myrtle...
Shallot
Allium cepa var. aggregatum Shallots are related to onions, but have a milder, more delicate flavor. In some parts of the country people call any green onion a shallot. The difference is that onion bulbs develop only 1 sprout per...
Crapemyrtle – Pruned Poorly – Pictures
A poorly-pruned crapemyrtle is one where the top has been thoughtlessly hacked back to a...
Crapemyrtle – Pruned Correctly – Pictures
In my view, a well-pruned crapemyrtle has architectural form and a graceful...
Boxwood – Warts on Stem
Not long ago I discussed the symptoms of boxwood leaf miners. If your boxwood leaves do not have the characteristic reddish-yellow mottling caused by the miner, what else could cause a thinning, unhealthy shrub? Taft Eaker runs the homeowner landscape...
Boxwood – Varieties
In the nursery trade there are basically two species of Boxwood available, English Boxwood (Buxus sempervirens) and Japanese Boxwood (Buxus microphylla). English Boxwood is native to southern Europe, northern Africa and western Asia and sometimes is referred to as Common...
Bamboo – Clumping
A reader recently asked me “Is there a recommended clumping bamboo for Atlanta? I need one that grows to sixteen feet or more.” Though it grows tall like a tree, bamboo is actually a giant grass. It spreads by means...
Tomato Disease Guide
Tomatoes are favorite summer vegetable but they are susceptible to several diseases and conditions. Following are excellent guides to diagnosing tomato diseases. UGA Tomato Problems Guide Auburn Tomato Disease Guide Texas – Diagnosing Tomato Problems Maine Tomato Problem Guide Wilt,...
Soil Temperatures for Planting
Q: Is there a general rule for when soil temps reach plantable levels for gardens? i.e.: when outside temp is steady 70 degrees, etc.? A: Here is a reference from the Arizona Master Gardener manual that may help: Seeds for...
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...
