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...
Moth Control – Cedar Closets
At public gatherings on the first cool nights of winter, the scent of mothballs from stored winter clothing can be suffocating. Woolen clothing is readily consumed by the larvae of clothes moths and it has somehow become common practice to...
Deer Repellent – One Gardener’s Experiences
Deer can cause a LOT of damage to a landscape in winter. With their normal green food gone, your shrubbery and pansies look pretty inviting to deer….even when it is close to the house. I have no magic bullet repellent...
Pollinators – Housing For
Many landscape plants depend on bees and other insects to move pollen from flower to flower. The insects don’t realize they are pollinating the plants they visit – they’re just looking for nectar in the flowers. You can help the...
Pollinators – Plants for
Many landscape plants depend on bees and other insects to move pollen from flower to flower. The insects don’t realize they are pollinating the plants they visit – they’re just looking for nectar in the flowers. You can help the...
Millipede – Control
Spring rains often bring creatures which are not seen at other times of the year. The millipede is one of those cyclical pests. Here is a typical question: Q: Last spring We had hundreds of millipedes scurrying through our house...
Carpenter Bees
Carpenter bees are frequently seen throughout Georgia in spring and early summer. They resemble bumble bees and can damage wood around homes. Adult carpenter bees are inch-long, black insects with yellowish hairs mostly on the thorax. Their backsides are shiny...
Tent Caterpillar Wine
If you have tent caterpillars in your cherry trees, the tents and crawly worms are enough for some folks. Taking the “yuck factor” even further, though, is the person who decided to make tent caterpillar wine. Please do not read...
Tent Caterpillar – Control
Even at the posted speed limit along I-285 and Memorial Drive, the webs are obvious to the eye. Tent caterpillars in the wild black cherry trees along the interstate have begun building their homes in the limbs. Like most caterpillars,...
Cicada Killer Wasp
The cicada killer wasp is about l 1/2 inches long and has yellow markings on its body. The sound as it flies is deeper than most insects; some say it’s a B-52 bomber-type sound. The wasp digs burrows in the...
Dogs – Landscaping for
If you have a dog or dogs, you know the damage they can do to a landscape. Whether digging under shrubs or pounding out a dirty path by the fence, dogs are quick to make their mark. My colleague Sheldon...
Mosquito – Ultrasonic Repellers
taken from HortIdeas High-Frequency Mosquito “Repellers” Found Ineffective This isn’t the first time we’ve reported on scientific trials of electronic devices claimed by their distributors to repel mosquitoes due to high-frequency sounds, and we suppose it won’t be the last...
Deer Control – Using a Scarecrow Device
From a local rose grower. “We have a large lot (1 1/2 acres, more than 200 roses). We have seen as many as nine deer at one time in our pasture, fairly close to the garden, in late afternoon. “Last...
Deer and Rabbit Control – Using Plantskydd
“I heard you mention the product Plantskydd repellant on your Saturday broadcast a week or two ago. Here is a rosarian’s experience: “In a short phrase, IT SEEMS TO WORK! “I ordered mine on line at www.highcountrygardens.com . I purchased...
Homeowner Q&A about Pine Beetles
The following was written by Terry Price, Georgia Forestry Commission. How do I know if my trees are currently infested with bark beetles? Trees that still harbor beetles will be characterized by green to yellow needles, tight fitting bark (hard...
Southern Pine Beetle – Links
Following are Internet links to information about the Southern pine beetle: Walter’s thoughts about Southern pine beetle Homeowner Q&A about Southern Pine Beetle (SPB) Southern Pine Beetle Internet site UGA southern pine beetle brochure Southern pine beetle in Florida Homeowner...
How to Handle Dead Birds
With all of the news about Bird Flu and West Nile Virus, it’s easy to become concerned when you see a dead bird. Could it be infected or not? How should it be disposed of safely? Should it be reported?...
Pink Hibiscus Mealybug
If you think fire ants and armadillos are terrible exotic, invasive pests, just wait until you have a houseplant infested with pink hibiscus mealybug (PHMB). The damage this insect does to plants makes them look like weed killer was sprayed...
Heron – Control
Every year, many pond keepers lose fish from their ponds following the visit of a heron. The occasional visit of these magnificent birds can create a great deal of interest, but unfortunately they are efficient predators and can decimate 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...
