Why Tomatoes Taste Bland: Rain and Variety Matter

Q: My tomatoes are big and beautiful but flavorless. Is rain the cause? A: Rain and overcast skies reduce flavor. Sunlight, soil moisture, fertility, and growing conditions all affect taste, but soil acidity isnt dominan

Overwintering Hydrangeas in 30-Gallon Containers

Q: Are 30-gallon pots large enough for hydrangeas to survive winter? A: Yes, for plants kept at 4x4 feet. Prune to maintain that size—larger plants outgrow the root systems water supply in summer. Winter freezing isnt a

Invasive Paulownia: Remove Before It Spreads

Q: Our 20-foot paulownia grows 12 inches weekly. Is it invasive? Should we cut it? A: Yes, cut it down. Paulownia produces massive seed pods that sprout everywhere. Older trees drop messy leaves and limbs. Remove the tre

Growing Peaches Without Pesticides: A Beekeeper's Challenge

Q: I keep bees and cant use pesticides. Brown rot and worms ruin my peaches. A: Peaches without fungicide for brown rot and insecticide for curculio are extremely difficult. Protect bees by spraying insecticides only in

Butterbeans vs. Lima Beans: What's the Difference?

Q: Friends debate: are butterbeans large with thick skins, or small and delicate? A: Opinions split. Georgia Dept of Agricultures Arty Schronce recalls large, mealy beans labeled lima beans in school cafeterias. For him,

Repelling Geese from Lawns Without a Pond

Q: Geese graze our front yard daily. Can we treat grass to deter them? A: Methyl anthranilate goose repellent (sold under several brands) makes grass taste terrible. Other options: trained dogs, laser hazing. Details at

Sorting Cream Peas: What to Keep, What to Toss

Q: The vendor said to wash and sort fresh cream peas. What do I discard? A: All peas are edible regardless of color. Sort just means remove debris. Cowpea curculio stings (purple spots) are harmless—some cooks remove the

Crabgrass Control: Timing Matters More Than Herbicide

Q: Drive XLR8 label requires crop oil adjuvant. What is that? A: Adjuvants improve pesticide performance. Methylated seed oil helps Drive adhere longer. But at this time of year, killing crabgrass is pointless—its alread

Post-Flood Plant Care: Wait and Watch

Q: Floodwater flattened my hydrangeas, ferns, hostas. Cut back now or wait? A: Wash off silt with a hose and wait. Many plants tolerate occasional flooding if soil drains quickly. Evaluate health next spring. More flood

Concrete Debris in Flower Beds: Minimal pH Impact

Q: Concrete pieces from a wall repair are in my flower bed. Will they leach and harm plants? A: Slight pH rise possible, but soil buffers well—thats why lime takes so much to adjust clay acidity. Remove visible pieces, b

Fig Pollination: Which Figs Need Wasps?

Q: I said only Mission figs need wasps; my sister disagreed. Whos right? A: I was wrong—its Calimyrna figs that require wasp pollination. Common figs (Brown Turkey, Celeste, Mission) dont need pollination. They produce p

Parsley Piert Control in Bermudagrass: A Multi-Year Battle

Q: What pre-emergent works for parsley piert in bermuda? I plan to apply in September. A: Parsley piert is a winter annual thats hard to control. Common pre-emergents (dithiopyr, pendimethalin) fail. Isoxaben helps but i

Expanded Slate (PermaTill) for Permanent Clay Soil Improvement

Q: How did your PermaTill experiment turn out? A: Expanded slate (PermaTill, Soil Perfector) permanently loosens clay, unlike organic conditioners that decompose in a few years. I mixed it into an annual bed—last week th

Stopping Birds from Attacking Windows

Q: A bird pecks at my kitchen window daily. How do I stop it? A: The bird (likely a cardinal) sees its reflection as a territorial rival. This happens in spring and again in fall when day/night ratios match. Tape newspap

Termites in Hydrangea Roots: Not the Cause of Decline

Q: I found termites in a hydrangea root. Do termites attack live plants? A: Termites cannot digest living tissue—they only consume dead, decaying wood. Their presence indicates the root died first. Termites didnt cause t

Why Your Trumpet Vine Won't Bloom

Q: How do I get my trumpet vine to flower? A: Blooming depends on vine age, sun exposure, and stem orientation. Young vines prioritize root establishment over flowers. Full sun is essential. Horizontal stems bloom more t

Using a Large Tree Stump as a Planter

Q: Can I plant a Nellie Stevens holly inside a large pine stump? A: The stump would need a 6-foot interior diameter for a large holly. For smaller plants—Encore azalea, Purple Diamond loropetalum, coneflower, Shasta dais

Picking Figs Amid Bees and Wasps

Q: Black bees chase me from my fig tree—I cant harvest the fruit! A: Ive picked figs for weeks with wasps, bees, and yellowjackets buzzing around. When food is the focus, theyre not defensive. Shake nearby branches—theyl

Controlling Yellow Woodsorrel (Oxalis) in Fescue

Q: How do I kill yellow flowering woodsorrel in my fescue lawn without harming the grass? A: Yellow woodsorrel (Oxalis stricta) is tough—it regrows from a taproot and scatters seeds. In fescue, use products with triclopy

Sawdust from Ambrosia Beetle-Infested Tree: No Risk

Q: We removed a water oak infested with ambrosia beetles. Does the stump sawdust pose a risk to nearby trees? A: No risk. The stump grinding process pulverizes the beetles and larvae completely.