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...
The Science Behind Fall Leaf Color
Pigments of Fall Color David C. Zlesak, Regional Extension Educator, Horticulture University of Minnesota Brilliantly colored leaves and fruit transform the fall landscape into enchanting scenes and is a hallmark of Minnesota and other Northern-tiered states. Heightened interest in plants...
Sudden Oak Death (SOD)
Sudden Oak Death (SOD) fungus could be a serious threat to oak trees in the Southeast. It has caused great damage to oaks in California. Several commonly grown woody plants (camellia, rhododendron, viburnum, etc) can be carriers of the disease,...
Stone Mulch – Bad for Trees
Norm Mittleider, owner of The Art of Pruning (770-407-1511) read my comments about using stone mulch in a landscape. He comments: “You could not have said it any better when addressing the question of using stone as mulch. I have...
SOD Update from Dr. Woodward
from Dr Jean Williams-Woodward April 9, 2004 By now most of you may have already heard that Phytophthora ramorum, cause of Sudden Oak Death (SOD), has been positively identified on plants within five Georgia nurseries: John Deere #173, College Park;...
Sassafras – Planting
I personally wish more gardeners would plant sassafras in their landscapes. I don’t think I have ever seen it offered at a nursery. If several were planted together, the fall color would be spectacular. The tree is touchy about being...
Repairing a Broken Tree
When storms break tree limbs it can be heartbreaking to survey the damage. Trees, however, are remarkably able to recover from damage if given a little help. This article from Michigan State University gives some great hints: Repairing Storm Damage...
Pine Needle Cast Disease
When pine needles turn reddish-brown in early summer, several things could be the cause. It could be beetles in the trunk, compaction damage to the roots or, occasionally, a needle disease. In the year after a wet summer, the disease...
Pine Beetle Identification
Pine trees are always subject to insect attack and should be examined periodically to determine if insect problems are developing. Several species of small brown or black beetles are common pests of pine trees. They are often referred to as...
Osage Orange – Uses
Garden friend D.G. has had much more experience with osage orange than most. His comments on the tree are below: “I grew up on a small general farm in west-central Illinois, where my father had about a quarter-mile row of...
Identifying Insects, Plants and Animals
My neighbor Chrissy has taught me more about the insects that live in my neighborhood than any adult possibly could have. Every couple of days there comes a short “Ding Dong” of our doorbell, followed by a couple of firm...
Beekeepers – Finding
There are many friendly beekeeping clubs scattered across Georgia. Most sponsor regular meetings and classes for beginners. Metro Atlanta Beekeepers Association Tara Beekeepers Association Cherokee Beekeepers Club Georgia Beekeepers Association Henry County Beekeepers Gwinnett Beekeepers...
Hornworms – Determining Difference
Taken from Hornworms and “Hummingbird” Moths The tobacco hornworm, Manduca sexta, is usually much more common in vegetable gardens than the tomato hornworm, Manduca quinquemaculata, but both may be found together as they generally have similar habits. The tomato hornworm...
Woodpecker – Control
V. C. called me in an agitated state. “A woodpecker is pecking holes in my kitchen window screen!”, she exclaimed. “What can I do to keep this bird from visiting me every morning?” This is the time of year when...
Cat – Control
Cats digging in a flower bed can be a confounding problem. There are no repellents that are really effective. When I offered radio advice on the subject, a listener added these comments: “I was listening to your show Saturday morning,...
Chameleon – Feeding
I had an interesting call this week – a fellow who raises chameleons needed to know how to culture fruit flies to feed to the reptiles. This is pretty far afield for the Extension Service – we can tell you...
Moths – Control
Few things are more disappointing than donning an expensive wool sweater, only to find that moths have been snacking on the threads for weeks. Reweaving is costly and patching is almost impossible. “If only I had checked on my clothes...
Mole Control – Castor Oil
Moles can be a real bother in a lawn. Many times the best control option is to mash down their tunnels with your shoe and forget about them. A commercial product which contains castor oil has appeared. Research results on...
Termite Treatments – Comparing Costs
A RETREATMENT contract is the most frequently issued type of contract. It requires the pest control company to retreat any area where termites are found following the original treatment. It does NOT require any repairs to be performed if the...
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...
