Soil – Replacement

Q: I have a lot of red clay soil. I'm thinking about replacing my fescue with zoysiagrass. What do you know about a grass called Amazoy? A: No matter what grass you choose, you'll have problems if y

Bird Feeders – Weed killer Underneath

Q: I have an area in my back yard with four bird feeders. The area under the feeders is rock, mulch and seed hulls with black plastic under it all. Weeds and some of the dropped seeds have sprouted under the feed

Scotch Moss – Planting

Q: I plan to plant Scotch moss between the stones in my patio. What kind of soil preparation should I do? A: Scotch Moss (sometimes called Irish moss), Sagina subulata, isn't really a moss but it has the g

Fig Tree – Flowers

Q: I was told by a friend that fig trees have no blossoms from which the fruit comes and it is the only fruit of which that is so. Is this true? A: Figs certainly have flowers, but their method of fruit producti

Mushrooms – Composting

Q: I know that mushrooms are a fungus. Is it a good idea to take mushrooms that grow in my yard and put them into the compost pile? It seems logical that the mushrooms would be good organic matter. A: Your intu

Peonies – Planting

Q: I am about to move to Monroe but I have a lot of peonies that my grandmother and mother gave me many years ago. What do I do to create the best new environment for the peonies? A: Because they will occupy

Grape Vines – Pruning ‘Concord'

Q: Please tell me how to prune my ‘Concord' grape vines. I read that you have to remove most of the plant. A: It's a whole different process from muscadine pruning, in which you prune new growt

Well – Super-Chlorinating

Q: Do you know of a web site that gives instructions for super-chlorinating a new well before having the water tested? A: Chlorinating a well is a method of sanitizing the water before it's used by a hous

Onions – Transplanting

Q: A local store is selling onions for transplanting into the garden. It's too early isn't it? A: I drive past green-spotted bermudagrass lawns every day that prove that onions are perfectly happy in

Jack-In-The-Pulpit – Raising

Q: A friend found a jack-in-the-pulpit that produced fruit this fall. I would like to know how to gather the seeds and raise more of these flowers. A: The red berries covering the end of a short stalk are typica

Apple, Crabapple, Pear Trees – Care

Q: I have a quick question about the apple, crabapple and pear trees that I planted last year. They did well through the summer and have grown by leaps and bounds. Now that it is almost a year later, what do I ne

African Violet – Rooting

Q: My sister just gave me an African violet. It has two long stalks that the leaves grow from. Can these be cut off and rooted in water? A: It's common for the lower leaves on an African violet to gradual

Fire Ants – Control Near Pond

Q: We have a small pond with fish and frogs. Fire ants have taken up residence in the soil surrounding it. Since this area is close to the water, is there any control product that can be safely used? A: I thin

Bird Houses – Plans

Q: Do you know where I might get some ideas on how to build bird houses? What birds are most common around this area? A: Building a birdhouse is a great winter time activity. The whole process of attracting bi

Plant and Tree ID – Reference Book

Q: Can you recommend a good reference book for plant and tree identification? It doesn't have to be exclusively for Georgia. A: I really like "A Field Guide to Woody Plants of the Southeast" by

Catawba Tree – Growing

Q: My dad had a big tree in the back yard he called his catawba tree. Twice each summer it was loaded with yellow and black worms. Boy, did we catch the fish with them! Can you tell me the species of tree and how

Tomato – Disease Identification

Q: I have grown tomatoes for a few years and have had my share of disease problems. Is there a central place where I can see pictures of all of the maladies a tomato plant might have? A: Actually, there are three

Cherry – Weeping Too Much

Q: Last October, I planted a 5′ weeping cherry tree. My hope was that it would grow 12-15′ (as the tag suggested it would do). I planted it in a big hole with good soil and a little lime added. It

Peppers – Growing Hybrids

Q: Last fall I picked a couple of long ‘Key Largo' peppers. My grandson and I did an experiment. We removed some pepper seeds and planted them in peat pellets. We also planted some tomato seeds. All t

Peppervine – Identification

Q: What is this vine that has overtaken a huge Japanese magnolia in our yard? A: Peppervine, Ampelopsis arborea. It is kin to porcelain berry and possum grape see  Peppervine Possum grape Porcelain berry