Why You Should Not Fill Tree Hollows with Concrete or Foam

Filling tree hollows with concrete, tar, or foam traps moisture, accelerates decay, and eventually cracks, worsening damage. Instead, cover the opening loosely with hardware cloth to exclude raccoons and opossums while a

Why Camellias and Azaleas Sport Different Colored Blooms on One Plant

Different colored flowers on the same camellia or azalea branch are called sports—mutations caused by viruses or genetic changes. Betty Sheffield camellia is famous for sports like Bettys Beauty and Betty Sheffield Varie

Using Glyphosate Safely Around Young Trees for Mulch Rings

Glyphosate (Roundup) can be sprayed on grass around young trees to create mulch rings, but avoid contact with tree bark and roots. The chemical absorbs through bark and roots. Shield the trunk, spray only grass, and cons

Fertilizing Daylilies: Timing and Two-Step Approach

Fertilize daylilies in late March–early April when growth is vigorous. Use 1 tablespoon 10-10-10 per plant now for quick uptake, then apply slow-release fertilizer per label. Water well. Fertilize again after summer bloo

Thinning Meyer Lemon Fruit for Larger, Juicier Lemons

Meyer lemons set far more fruit than the tree can support. Thin when fruit is thumbnail-sized: remove all but the largest in each cluster, then space remaining fruit 5 inches apart on branches. This improves leaf-to-frui

Home Soil Tests Are Unreliable for Nitrogen; Focus on Soil Structure Instead

Home soil tests often inaccurately report low nitrogen. Even UGAs lab doesnt test for nitrogen because it fluctuates with temperature and moisture. Lawn struggles usually stem from compaction, improper watering, or wrong

Replanting a Peach Tree After Carpenter Ants: No Soil Treatment Needed

Carpenter ants didnt kill the peach tree—they nested in existing rot from broken limbs or wounds. Peach wood decays easily. Ants excavate soft wood but dont eat live tissue. No soil treatment is needed. Prevent future is

European Craneflies: Harmless Adults, Larvae Rarely Damage Georgia Lawns

Large, mosquito-like craneflies swarming lights are adults—they dont bite or sting. Their larvae (leatherjackets) can damage lawns in high numbers, but Georgias summer heat and dry soils usually keep populations low. No

Watering Restrictions Exemptions for Vegetable Gardens and Fruit Plants

Food gardens—vegetables, berries, fruit trees—are exempt from outdoor watering restrictions. You may water them any time. New landscape plants can be watered daily for 30 days after planting, then must follow restriction

Seedling Pecan Trees: Wait and Evaluate Before Grafting

Ungrafted pecan trees grown from seed may or may not produce quality nuts—it depends entirely on their genetic parentage. At 18 feet tall, your trees are approaching bearing age. Wait for the first crops to evaluate nut

Irrigation System Investment: Is It Worth $1,700 for Bermuda and Flowers?

For a Georgia transplant from Florida, an irrigation system may seem essential, but bermudagrass naturally goes dormant and brown during drought—then recovers when rain returns. You can maintain a green lawn year-round b

Planting Near Sewer Lines: Why Containers Aren't Necessary for Otto Luyken Laurel

You can plant Otto Luyken laurel directly over a sewer line just one foot deep—no container needed. Roots naturally spread horizontally when they encounter solid barriers like concrete pipes. As long as the pipe is intac

Garden Tool Repair Resources Near Atlanta

For heirloom tool restoration in the Atlanta area: Tucker Handy Ace Hardware (770-939-6842): Carries replacement handles for virtually any tool. The Keen Edge Company (770-492-3256): Specializes in sharpening and can r

Creating the Ideal Planter Mix for Roses Using Manure and Fish Compost

Pure horse manure or fish compost is too nutrient-dense for direct use in planters—tender roots will burn from excess nitrogen and potassium. Instead, create a balanced growing medium: 3:2:1 Ratio: 3 parts porous woodla

Why Tree Roots Surface: It's Not "Coming Up for Air"

Tree roots dont literally come up for air. Instead, they grow where oxygen is available in the soil. When young roots encounter impenetrable heavy clay, they spread horizontally near the surface. As the tree matures, the

Stopping Bradford Pear Root Sprouts After Tree Removal

Bradford pear roots store substantial energy and produce sprouts from dormant buds along their length. After tree removal and stump grinding, these sprouts will continue emerging until the root system exhausts its reserv

Take-All Patch in St. Augustinegrass: Diagnosis and Management

Take-all patch is a devastating fungal disease of St. Augustinegrass in Georgia. Symptoms begin as irregular, straw-colored thin patches that coalesce into large dead areas. The disease can recur in subsequent years. Re

How Messenger (Green Guard) Boosts Plant Disease Resistance

Messenger (sold as Green Guard by Gardens Alive) contains a harpin protein that triggers systemic acquired resistance (SAR) in plants. The plant thinks its under attack and thickens cell walls, produces defense compounds

School Fruit Garden Planning: Varieties for Spring and Fall Harvest

For an elementary school fruit garden with harvests before summer break or after August: Late Spring (May): Serviceberry (Amelanchier × grandiflora Autumn Brilliance) may produce some sweet berries before school ends. S

Managing Moles: Why Traps Fail and What Actually Works

Mole tunnels appear prominently in spring as soil warms and earthworms become active. Despite the extensive tunneling, you likely have only one or two moles—theyre solitary and territorial. Traps and repellents often di