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...
Leaf Spot – On Turnips and Mustard
Q: I have these spots on my mustard and turnip leaves . I ‘d appreciate if you could help me get rid of what is causing them so I could get some in the freezer. A: I think it’s cercospora...
Alstromeria – Weed-like in Garden
Q: Please warn people about planting alstroemeria. It’s gone under a cemented stone wall, under paving stones, has engulfed ferns and is about to do in a hydrangea. For me, alstroemeria is a nightmare. A: I’ve enjoyed this long-lasting component...
Earthworms – Thousands of Casting Mounds
Q: Last year I had a beautiful lawn but now I fear I’m losing it. There are thousands of small mounds of soil similar to ant hills but much smaller. This condition covers the entire lawn area. Can you tell...
Shoe Tree – In Alabama
Q: This tree grows along US Hwy 72 in north Alabama, just a few miles from the Mississippi line. I pass it when I go to west Tennessee to visit my Mom. I’ve been watching it’s “fruit” increase over the...
Hen and Chicks – Blooming
Q: I’ve talked with several gardeners and none have seen a Hens & Chicks bloom. This plant is over 10 years old. A: Hubba-hubba! You’ve done very well! Most succulents, particularly those kept as houseplants, bloom reluctantly. I think the...
Leaves/Needles – Don’t Acidify Soil
Q: I’ve heard that pine needles and oak leaves cause soil to be acid. Is this true? A: This is a gardening myth that should be put to rest. While needles and leaves from all trees may be acidic initially,...
Pecan – Shellers
Q: I have more than fifty pounds of good looking pecans I picked up under my trees. Where can I get them shelled by machine? A: There are several companies scattered across Georgia who will shell your pecans for a...
Pecan Varieties – Identification
Q: I have several different types of pecan trees. Do you have a chart that shows the types of pecans and their names so I can easily identify my pecans? A: I don’t have a chart but what this site...
Calla Lily – Planting Seed
Q: This lily has white and purplish flowers in the spring and is quite attractive. I would like to know if these are seed pods. If so, how I would go about planting them so I could have more plants...
Blackberry – White Cells (Dry Cell Syndrome)
Q: I have three blackberry plants that have been growing for three years. This year my crop has been great, but I have a problem with the ripe fruit. I have looked online, and the closest photos I find say...
Pine Beetles – Identification
Q: Can you identify what the goo is oozing from the trunk of a pine tree in my backyard? I would hate to have to remove the tree. A: The “goo” is hardened resin from the tree. It came out...
Lavender – Dying in Pot
Q: We have been enjoying our potted lavender plant, but now it seems to be dying from the bottom up. We find no apparent cause! Can you please give us some suggestions after looking at the three attached pictures? A:...
Yaupon Holly – Make Tea from Leaves
Yaupon holly is a ntive holly often used in urban landscapes. Native Americans also found it useful….but not for making their homes more attractive! Yaupon Tea posted by Geoff This afternoon I made a cup of yaupon tea from the...
Spinosad – No Use on Collards, Kale, Mustard
Q: I called your radio show about the holes in my collard plants. You suggested I use B.t. for the caterpillars. The local nursery didn’t have B.t., but sold me a garden insecticide containing spinosad. When I read the label,...
Cuba Trip – 2012 – Pictures
I recently returned from a trip to a country that has fascinated me since I read about it in Life Magazine when I was a kid: Cuba. Accompanied by 25 intrepid travelers, I was able to visit organic farms, lively streets...
Cuba Trip 2012 – Tour Group
I went to Cuba with 25 gardeners and other travelers. Most were from Georgia but others came from Washington State and Ohio. Back to Cuba Trip – 2012 Want to be notified when I take another trip? CLICK...
Cuba Trip 2012 – Cuban People
The Cuban literacy rate (99.8%) is higher than the United States’ rate (97%). Although not many people outside the tourist industry speak English, the natives were uniformly friendly, often blurting “We love the US…we just wish we could go there!”...
Cuba Trip 2012 – Signs
I understand very little Spanish but could sometimes puzzle out what signs meant. It was such a relief to arrive in the Miami airport and be able to navigate without getting lost! Back to Cuba Trip – 2012...
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...
