Muscadine Fruit Drop: Imperfect Flowers Need a Pollinator

If muscadine blooms fall off as tiny grapes, the vines likely have only female (imperfect) flowers. Plant a perfect-flowered variety like Cowart, Triumph, Nesbitt, or Carlos nearby for pollination.

Mature English Ivy: Adult Form Flowers and Fruits

The non-lobed, flowering vine covering your trees is adult English ivy. Juvenile ivy has classic three-lobed leaves; after years, it transitions to unlobed leaves, produces spiky flowers, then blue-black berries that bir

Leaf-Footed Bugs Ruining Tomatoes: Try a Hand Vacuum

Leaf-footed bugs pierce tomatoes, causing hard, off-flavored spots and rot. Theyre tough to kill with sprays. One gardener suggests sucking them up with a battery-powered hand vacuum—worth a try.

Rose Rosette Disease: Remove All Roots Before Replanting

All roses are susceptible to rose rosette virus. The only cure is complete removal, including every root fragment. Leave the bed bare until October, scouting weekly for sprouts. If none appear, its safe to replant roses.

Pine Seedling Surge: Mast Year Aftermath

Abundant pine seedlings follow a mast year of heavy pollen and a wet, cold winter that favored germination. Most die naturally. Pull what you can; spray the rest with herbicide.

Canna Lily Dermatitis: Mystery Reaction, Not Leaf Rollers

Canna leaf rollers are legless grubs without irritating hairs. The severe itching may have been a pesticide reaction or an individual sensitivity. If it recurs near cannas, consider an allergy to the plant or something o

Long-Term Seed Storage: Dry, Cold, and Realistic Expectations

Seed longevity varies: beans, peppers, onions last 2–3 years; beets, tomatoes 5–10 years. Home storage cant match lab conditions (liquid nitrogen). For best results, dry seeds with silica gel, store at 0–5°F, and expect

Canada Goose Control: Legal and Practical Options

Canada geese are protected by federal and state law. Non-lethal options: let grass grow 20–30 inches tall in a 20–30 ft strip from the pond (geese avoid tall grass), use taste repellents (methyl anthranilate), or harass

Fruit Tree Spray Guide: UGA's Comprehensive Resource

Consistent fruit harvests require a spray schedule for diseases and insects. UGA Extensions guide at bit.ly/GAfruitspray covers both organic and synthetic options for apples, peaches, and more.

Two-Tone Bermuda: Common Type Invading Hybrid Sod

The lighter grass is likely common Bermuda invading the darker hybrid sod. Eradication is difficult; Roundup and resod is the most reliable fix. Identifying Bermuda varieties is tricky.

Meyer Lemon Sooty Mold: Sucking Insects and Neem Oil

Tiny spots on leaves plus black sooty mold below indicate scale, whitefly, or aphids. They excrete honeydew, feeding the mold. Spray neem oil thoroughly on leaf undersides to suffocate the insects—safe for edible fruit.

Brown Patch in Fescue: Cultural Fixes Before Fungicides

Circular patches with green centers confirm brown patch. It favors high humidity, temps above 80°F day/60°F night, and prolonged leaf wetness. Over-fertilizing, over-watering, and mowing too low worsen it. Correct cultur

Albino Squirrel Visits Yard

A rare albino squirrel is frequenting a Norcross yard. Albino chipmunks also occur. Enjoy the unusual sight!

Zoysia Rust: Fertilize and Mow Frequently

Rust on zoysia thrives in high humidity and 65–85°F when grass grows slowly. Fertilize and mow often to push growth and remove infected leaf tips. Fungicide alone isnt enough.

DIY Spray Guard From a Plastic Bottle

Cut the bottom off a plastic bottle, insert the sprayer nozzle into the neck, and tape it in place. This simple shield prevents herbicide drift onto nearby desirable plants.

Hydrangea Winter Bud Freeze: Why Blooms Were Few

Bigleaf hydrangea flower buds at the stem tips froze in the harsh winters of 2013–14 and 2014–15. Plants in protected spots bloomed normally. Light fertilizing in July and proper watering may help next years display.

Bermuda Invading Zoysia: Spot-Spray and Resod

Thin-bladed zoysia (Emerald) outcompetes Bermuda; wider-bladed types (Meyer) dont. For quick results, spray the mixed area with glyphosate and resod with zoysia. Herbicides that suppress Bermuda in zoysia take years to w

Grafted Pear Producing Tiny Fruit: Rootstock Suckers

Small, inedible fruits come from the Callery pear rootstock, not the grafted varieties. Remove all limbs bearing these tiny fruits immediately. The desirable grafted limbs will fill in.

Azaleas Dying After Planting: Root Ball Dried Out

Despite soaker hoses, the azalea root balls dried out because water moves from the nursery soil into the surrounding native soil, not the reverse. Hand-water the root ball directly weekly for four months after spring pla

"Magic Bean" Revealed: Sword Bean With Laser-Etched Message

The Lotto number plant is Canavalia gladiata (sword bean). Seeds are laser-etched with messages, sold in cans as gifts. The message appears on the cotyledon as the seed germinates. The vine grows vigorously and produces