Why Your Carolina Jessamine Isn't Blooming: Pruning Timing Matters

Q: Ive had a Carolina jessamine for four years. Its never bloomed. It appears healthy. I think youre pruning in winter and removing flower buds. Jessamine is a rambunctious grower so fall/winter cutting is tempting. But

Removing Lichens from Sports Netting: Safe and Effective Cleaning

Q: Im a softball coach at Georgia State University. Our backstop netting has developed a fungus covering the entire netting area. What you see is lichens growing on the net. They typically grow on tree trunks, doing no h

Topping Leyland Cypress: Managing Height and Stability in Mature Trees

Q: I have rows of large (30-40 ft) Leyland Cypress trees surrounding a pool, shaved/pruned for 14 years. Theyve become top-heavy and started to splinter/lean. To get a few more years, I topped them at 20 ft. Will the red

Elm Tree Bleeding Sap: Bacterial Infection and Carpenter Ants in Decaying Wood

Q: My elm tree is bleeding. The top is sappy but the bottom looks like fresh coffee grounds. This area is about a foot tall and six inches wide. The tree itself is ancient. A: It appears a limb was originally at that spo

Blossom End Rot in Tomatoes and Peppers: Causes and Prevention

Q: What causes young tomatoes to get a black bottom that turns to rot? Blossom end rot is caused by lack of calcium in the sap when small fruit is growing. Calcium moves to fruit via sap, but if roots dry out, calcium do

Diagnosing Boxwood Decline: Why It's Not Always Boxwood Blight

Q: Is this boxwood blight? A: My plant pathology friend Jean Williams-Woodward says: The plant looks like its dying from a root problem, not boxwood blight. Its planted next to a stone walkway. Roots appear to suffer fro

Honey Pollen Analysis: How to Identify Nectar Sources from Your Hives

Q: I am interested in matching pollen granules that my honeybees collect with the plant of origin. The best help I found is from a professor at Texas A&M University in Austin. Although Austin is warmer than Atlanta, flow

Best Bagged Soils for Filling Raised Garden Beds: Product Recommendations

Q: Ive built my raised beds but dont have a lot of soil to fill them. What should I use? Ive had good success with Big Yellow Bag, Scotts Premium Topsoil, Kellogg Raised Bed Mix, Natures Care Organic Raised Bed Soil, and

Debunking the Watermelon-Squash Hybrid Myth: Why They Don't Cross-Pollinate

Q: I think I have a watermelon/squash hybrid in my garden. This came up where I planted squash. I didnt plant watermelons this year but had them there last year. Its probably not what you think. Although many Cucurbit fa

Environmentally Safe Weed Control for Pond Banks and Riprap

Q: We recently placed stones on our detention pond bank to prevent erosion. Many animals and birds live there. Weeds are growing between the stones. We need an environmentally safe herbicide to kill unwanted plants. I re

Golden Digger Wasps: Beneficial Insects in Your Backyard

Q: These are all over my back yard flying just above the grass. What is it? They are golden digger wasps. They feed on crickets, grasshoppers, and katydids and are considered beneficial insects. They are not aggressive,

How to Prune an Overgrown Schefflera for Healthy Regrowth

Q: We need to trim this schefflera back. What is best? A schefflera usually recovers nicely from severe pruning but needs bright shade, probably outdoors, to sprout new limbs faster. Best time: late April through mid-sum

Cooking Potatoes in Pine Rosin: A Unique Southern Tradition

Q: Have you heard of using pine tree rosin for cooking potatoes? Is there a local source to purchase the rosin? At first I thought you were joking, but people do endorse this cooking method! An entrepreneurial family in

Inside an Abandoned Yellowjacket Nest: Structure and Life Cycle

Q: I dug up yellow jacket nests after killing them, but they usually get torn up. A friend sent this picture of a nest under an AC unit. They didnt see insects and werent sure what kind of nest it was. What an awesome pi

Managing Basal Sprouts on Crape Myrtles: Pruning Mistakes and Solutions

Q: How can I prevent the massive leaf growth at the bottom of my crepe myrtles? Severe winter pruning is almost always the problem. When you remove the top of a crapemyrtle, it automatically produces new growth at the ba

Mystery Pool Droppings Identified: Iguana Scat in South Florida

Q: For six months, skinny droppings (~¼ wide) have appeared in our South Florida pool. Everyone said raccoon, but it doesnt match raccoon feces pictures. Weve never seen a raccoon. We believe its from trees overhanging t

Identifying Deer Scat: How Diet Changes Droppings Appearance

Q: Im trying to find out who left this gift in my yard in Sandy Springs. Could it be a bear? Any ideas? UGA wildlife expert Mike Mengak says: on dry pine needles with no rooting signs, this looks like deer scat. Normally

Avian Pox in Wild Birds: Identification, Contagion, and Feeder Hygiene

Q: What disease does this bird have? I found him in a large container of water. Local birding guide Georgann Schmalz (birdingadventuresinc.com) identifies it as a juvenile American robin with probable avian pox. Mockingb

Sudden Limb Drop in Trees: Causes, Risks, and Prevention Strategies

Q: I have a beautiful 65-75 foot tall tree that has dropped 3 significant branches over the last year. They could kill someone. How can I determine the trees health and enjoy my backyard without worry? Tree expert Art Mo

Controlling Annual Bluegrass: Evaluating Tenacity and Poa Constrictor Herbicides

Q: What do you think about Tenacity or Poa Constrictor to remove annual bluegrass from my lawn? Both products are used by professionals and available to homeowners, though expensive. You must carefully read and follow ea