American Holly Losing Leaves in Spring? It's Normal—They're Semi-Evergreen

Dont Panic: Seasonal Leaf Drop Is Part of the Cycle Hiking the Len Foote Trail, you noticed American hollies shedding leaves. Despite their evergreen reputation, Ilex opaca is technically semi-evergreen. Each spring, old

Blueberry Soil Prep: The Exact Recipe for Sandy or Clay Soil

Create the Perfect Blueberry Bed—Once, and Reap for Decades Blueberries demand specific conditions: acidic (pH 4.5–5.5), well-drained, organic-rich soil. Whether your native soil is sand or clay, this planting method gua

Moss Taking Over Your Bermuda Lawn? Fix the Shade and Soil—Don't Just Kill the Moss

Moss Isnt the Problem; Its the Symptom Moss doesnt choke out Bermuda grass. It simply colonizes where grass cant grow: too much shade, compacted clay, poor drainage, or low pH. Killing moss without fixing the underlying

New Bermuda Sod Has Weeds? Wait Until You've Mowed Three Times Before Spraying

Timing Is Everything for Weed Control on Fresh Sod Your December-installed Bermuda sod hasnt greened up yet, but weeds are popping up. Can you spray now? No. New sod is extremely sensitive to herbicides. Applying too ear

Rethinking Weeds: Why a "Perfect" Lawn Might Be Overrated

The Case for Embracing Lawn Diversity After years of spraying, pulling, and cursing weeds, a reader asks a provocative question: Why do we fight so hard to kill plants just because they look different from grass? The ans

Starting an Organic Garden? Here's Where to Find Certified Plants and Seeds

Sourcing Truly Organic Plants and Non-GMO Seeds in Metro Atlanta Your first organic garden deserves authentic inputs. While big-box stores often blur the lines, these trusted local and mail-order sources deliver verified

Why Your Healthy Dogwood Won't Bloom—and What to Do About It

The Frustration of a Flowerless Dogwood Five years ago you bought a dogwood at the Dogwood Festival. Its tripled in size, looks vigorous—but has never produced a single flower bud. Before you reach for bloom boosters, un

Can't Find the Exact Fertilizer Your Soil Test Recommends? Here's How to Substitute

When the Store Doesnt Carry Your Prescribed Fertilizer Analysis Your UGA soil test calls for 15-0-15 in spring and 34-0-0 in summer—but local retailers stock neither. A recent survey of a big-box store and a major garden

DIY Ant Bait: A Simple, Effective Recipe Using Household Ingredients

Homemade Ant Bait That Actually Works Dealing with ants invading your home? Skip the commercial traps and whip up your own highly effective bait using just three common household items. This recipe, shared on radio, uses

Growing Basil in Pots for a Continuous Summer Harvest

Succession Planting Is the Secret Grocery-store basil plants often fizzle out quickly because theyre grown for immediate use, not sustained production. For a steady supply all summer, plant new basil every three weeks fr

Do Hornets, Wasps, Fleas, and Mosquitoes Serve a Purpose?

Ecological Roles of Pest Insects Naturalist David Funderburk sums it up: pollination, predation, and parasitism. These insects are integral to ecosystem function, even when they annoy us. Specific Contributions Hornets

Carpenter Ant Control: Find the Nest, Use Bait Stations

Where Carpenter Ants Nest Carpenter ants establish colonies in moisture-damaged wood—commonly around chimneys, skylights, under bathtubs, behind dishwashers, and in damp eaves. Rotting wood is easier to excavate than sou

Chinese Snowball Viburnum vs. Hydrangea: How to Tell Them Apart

Identifying the Big White Shrubs in May Those 10-foot-tall, white-flowered shrubs blooming in early May are almost certainly Chinese snowball viburnum (Viburnum macrocephalum), not hydrangeas. The flower heads look nearl

Vegetable Garden Row Spacing: 36 Inches for Comfort and Access

Optimal Row Width for Home Gardens After a 30-year hiatus, youre planting a vegetable garden again—excellent! For easy walking, weeding, and harvesting, 36 inches between rows is ideal. A minimum of 30 inches works, but

Confederate Jasmine Winter Damage: Try the 'Madison' Variety

When a Reliable Vine Fails Confederate jasmine (Trachelospermum jasminoides) often dies back in harsh winters but usually rebounds. If yours didnt survive this year, dont give up on the species—consider the more cold-har

Asian Ambrosia Beetles on Crape Myrtle: Assess Before You Act

Dont Rush to Remove the Tree Finding the telltale toothpick frass tubes of Asian ambrosia beetles on your crape myrtle is alarming, but immediate removal isnt always necessary. The severity depends on how many beetles bo

Marigolds for Nematode Control: Living Plants Beat Extracts

What the Research Shows French and African marigolds release compounds from their roots that suppress root-knot nematodes and certain soil-borne pathogens. However, studies on marigold root extracts are inconclusive—no d

Sticky Deck Under a Tulip Tree? It's Likely Insect Honeydew

Identifying the Source of the Mess Large, sticky splats raining onto your deck from a tulip tree are almost certainly honeydew—the sugary excrement of sap-feeding insects. The two most common culprits are scale insects a

The Truth About "Balanced" Fertilizer Ratios

Why 10-10-10 Isnt Really Balanced Many gardeners assume a fertilizer labeled 10-10-10 is balanced because the three numbers are equal. In reality, that ratio supplies far more phosphorus than most plants need. A truly ba

Two Tough Ferns That Thrive in Sun or Shade

Versatile Ferns for Any Light Condition If you need ferns that tolerate both sun and shade, two standout performers are autumn fern (Dryopteris erythrosora) and Southern shield fern (Thelypteris kunthii). Both are except