Argentine Ants in Kitchen: Identify, Bait, Seal—Don't Spray

First, confirm species (honey on card, follow trail). Dont spray—it scatters colonies. Puff boric acid into entry, caulk. Wipe scent trails. Eliminate food sources. Use slow-acting baits (Maxforce, Combat, Terro) where a

Ants in Compost: Keep It Moist, Turn It, They'll Leave

Ants avoid moist, active compost. Turn piles occasionally, keep damp. Theyre actually beneficial—distributing nutrients, eating springtails. If nuisance, use bait (Over n Out) near bins, not in them. Extension office has

Butterfly Gardening: Host Plants for Caterpillars, Nectar for Adults

You need two plant types: host plants (fennel, parsley, butterfly weed, passion flower, elm) for caterpillars, and nectar plants (butterfly bush, lantana, zinnias) for adults. Add a mud puddle (buried basin with wet sand

Rose Flowers Turned Red? Rootstock Took Over

Grafted roses can revert if the top dies. The swollen knot near ground is the graft union. Sprouts below it are from the rootstock—often a red variety. Your yellow/pink roses didnt change; they were replaced.

Rooting Lady Banks Rose: Soil Layering Is Easiest

Check for sprouts under the mother plant—dig and move. Or soil-layer: bend a long shoot down, wound 8–12 inches from tip, apply rooting hormone, bury in trench, weight with brick. Sever in 3 months. Rooted by June.

Scale on Magnolia Attracts Wasps: Monitor Crawlers for Timely Oil Sprays

Wasps on magnolia likely feed on scale honeydew. Scale adults have waxy covers; crawlers (babies) are vulnerable. In early April, wrap double-sided tape on infested branches. When yellow crawlers stick, spray horticultur

Camellia Leaf Gall: Ugly but Harmless—Pick It Off

Thick, swollen, pale leaves on camellia = leaf gall fungus. Common on camellias, azaleas, rhododendrons. Pick off galls before they turn white (spore stage). Disease spreads slowly, may skip years. No spray needed.

Woolly Alder Aphids on Elm: Honeydew, Sooty Mold, and Control Options

White fluffy insects on elm/maple in May are woolly alder aphids. They excrete honeydew, causing sticky surfaces and black sooty mold. Control: blast small trees with hose or insecticidal soap. Large trees: imidacloprid

Find Your Soil Type: USDA Web Soil Survey for Science Projects

The USDA NRCS Web Soil Survey lets you enter an address and download a detailed soil classification report. Read the instructions first—theyre not intuitive. Great for student projects.

Lizard and Snake Control: Habitat Removal, Not Repellents

No chemical repels lizards/snakes consistently. Remove what attracts them: log/rock piles, foundation gaps, tall grass, wet areas. For indoor lizards: open doors, use glue boards (release with vegetable oil). Geckos on p

Stop Dogs from Urinating on Your Mailbox Post: Remove Scent or Block Access

Once a pee post, always a pee post—unless you act. Option 1: Excavate 12 inches of soil 3 feet around post, replace with fresh topsoil. Scrub metal post with bleach; replace wood post. Option 2: Low fence. Best: both. Or

Overwintering Angel Trumpet: Mulch the Stump, Root Cuttings for Insurance

Angel trumpet (Brugmansia) may die in Atlanta winters. After frost: cut to 6 inches, cover with pot and straw mound. But also root 12-inch stem sections in water (trunk-end down) in a sunny window by late September. Pot

Saving Impatiens Seeds: From Popping Pods to Spring Seedlings

Collect mature pods over newspaper. Clean, dry 1 week. Store in envelope in a jar with 2 tbsp dry milk powder (moisture absorber) in the fridge. Spring Sowing Late April: surface-sow on sterile mix in shade. Dont cover—

Why Daffodils Stop Blooming and How to Get Flowers Again

Daffodils bloom based on previous years energy storage. Dont mow foliage until it yellows. Fertilize in spring. Provide full to dappled sun. Follow these, and theyll bloom reliably.

Planting Easter Lilies Outdoors: They'll Bloom Naturally in June

Easter lilies are hardy in Atlanta. Plant in dappled shade after flowering. Foliage dies by mid-summer; blooms return in early June (natural time). Full sun shortens lifespan; shade prevents early emergence and frost dam

Are Cheap Soil pH Probes Accurate? Why Professional Testing Beats Gadgets

Inexpensive probes ($20 or less) are wildly inaccurate—affected by moisture, temperature, recent fertilizer. Professional pH pens ($50–100, e.g., Gemplers catalog) are accurate to 0.1 pH unit. Dont trust cheap probes; se

Finding 'White Acre' Southern Peas: Understanding the Varieties

Southern peas are beans (Vigna), not true peas (Pisum). White Acre is a cream pea (light seeds, loose pods). Other types: crowders (tight seeds, blunted ends), colored hulls (e.g., Pinkeye Purple Hull). Names vary region

Why Black Plastic Sheeting Harms Plants and How to Replace It with Proper Mulch

Plastic blocks oxygen, water, and fertilizer. Plants become weak and spindly. Remove it: rake off decomposed leaves, pull up plastic, discard. Scratch soil surface with a bow rake, return leaf mold, and mulch with pine s

Free Manure for Your Garden? Zoo Manure Isn't an Option, But Aged Horse Manure Works

Zoo Atlanta does not distribute manure (separating carnivore/herbivore waste is impractical). Fresh horse manure contains thousands of weed seeds. Seek manure that has weathered outdoors for several months to minimize we

Best Pruning Reference Books for Shrubs and Trees

Top picks: Pruning Made Easy – Lewis Hill The Pruning Book – Lee Reich American Horticultural Society Pruning & Training – Brickell & Joyce The Pruning Answer Book – easy Q&A format Plus UGAs free Basic Principles of P