Cottonseed Meal: Pesticide/GMO Concerns Addressed

Q: Cottonseed meal as organic fertilizer—but cotton is heavily pesticided? A: Conventional cotton once used high pesticides. GMO seeds (last decade) reduced pesticide use—boll weevil resistance and glyphosate tolerance.

Blackberry vs. Dewberry: Growth Habit Difference

Q: Difference between blackberry and dewberry? A: Both Rubus genus. Dewberry trails as vine; blackberry arches as shrub. Centuries of breeding yield tayberry, boysenberry, loganberry, etc., with varying heat/cold toleran

'Madame Rosy' Trumpet Vine: Vigorous, Potentially Invasive

Q: Madame Rosy trumpet creeper for arbor—good for hummingbirds, long bloom? A: No experience with this hybrid (American x Asian). Described as floriferous and seedless. But ANY trumpetvine grows like kudzu; roots sprout

Urban Fox Control: Remove Attractants or Hire Professional

Q: Foxes under porches/sheds, prey carcasses in yard. Solutions? A: Like coyotes, foxes adapt to humans. Remove pet food/garbage to reduce numbers. Coyotes increasing in Atlanta may outcompete foxes. Only decisive option

Orchid Keiki: Baby Plant on Flower Spike

Q: Is my orchid having a baby? A: Yes—a keiki (Hawaiian for baby). Not ready to remove yet. Bright diffuse light, monthly fertilizer. When roots 1-3 inches, cut 1 inch above/below, pot in damp sphagnum moss in slotted or

Crabapple with Trunk Rot: Cut Below Damage

Q: Crabapple has large rotten hole from broken limb. Cut below hole? A: Yes, cut below hole. Damage permanently weakens trunk. Side branch turning vertical will become strong new leader. Future J bend in trunk is fine.

Seedless Raspberry: Myth or Marketing?

Q: Does a truly seedless raspberry variety exist? A: Dozens of hybrids exist. Some sold as seedless (e.g., European Rubus idaeus) likely just have small seeds. May not tolerate hot summers. Report back if you try.

Pre-Emergent on Moss Lawn: Unknown Effects, Test Small Area

Q: Pre-emergent safe for moss lawn? A: Pre-emergents stop seeds; moss uses spores, so theoretically safe. But effects unknown. Scotts Halts (pendimethalin) label says it controls moss with fall application. Test small se

Japanese Knotweed: Invasive Threat, Not Health Food

Q: Vine popping up everywhere—friend or foe? A: FOE. Japanese knotweed (Polygonum compactum) spreads aggressively. Control early with glyphosate. Resveratrol from roots is sold as supplement, but let others grow it. Resv

Bermudagrass Mite: Cultural Control Works Best

Q: Is this bermudagrass mite damage (brooming)? A: Yes. Mites attack stem tips causing brooming. Control: mow twice weekly for a month, bag clippings to remove mites. Fertilize 4x summer (April-Sept) to outgrow damage. B

Cryptomeria 'Flowers' Are Male Pollen Cones

Q: Gray tips on cryptomeria—disease? A: Gray tips are last years male pollen cones. Brown/tan ones are from last fall, will release pollen in spring. Normal.

Amaryllis Reblooming Requires Summer Light, Not Dark Storage

Q: Amaryllis bulbs stored in dark cabinet all summer—long leaves but no flowers. A: Dark storage prevents energy storage for next bloom. After flowering, cut stalk, keep leaves in sunny window until May. Plant outdoors s

Nicotine from Flowering Tobacco: Same as Smoking Tobacco?

Q: Dried flowering tobacco (Nicotiana alata, etc.) for pest control like regular tobacco? A: All Nicotiana species contain nicotine. Grandfather used nicotine sulfate (Black Leaf 40)—extremely toxic, no longer sold. Be c

Cold Damage on Shrubs: Wait for Spring to Prune

Q: Mock orange brown after big freeze. What now? A: (After 6°F cold) Wait. Bark splitting from severe cold causes dieback after first warm spell. Fungi invade splits. Prune damage as seen.

Transplanting Blueberries: Full Sun, Peat Moss, Space

Q: Moving 15 blueberry bushes from part shade to full sun. Best time? A: Now is great! Till 1 cu ft Canadian peat moss into 4-ft wide area per plant. Space 6 ft apart. Mulch bark chips. Water diligently first summer. Exp

Weed Control in Fern Beds: Glyphosate Wipe or Hand-Pull

Q: Pre-emergent safe for native ferns? A: Untested on ferns. Alternative: wrap towel on stick, wet with glyphosate, wipe weeds. Or hand-pull—Connie G. notes it avoids chemicals and reconnects with nature.

Rain Barrels: Economically Marginal for Tree Watering

Q: Two 65-gallon rain barrels for summer fruit tree watering. Prevent stagnation? A: Add 1/8 tsp bleach per gallon. But trees need 20 gallons/week in summer—barrels cant supply economically. $100 barrels save $1.30 water

Tulip Bulbs in Pots Survive Freezing If Drained

Q: Tulip bulbs in deck/patio pots—will they bloom if frozen? A: Tulips survive Minnesota winters frozen solid. If pots have drainage and soil isnt waterlogged, theyll bloom fine.

Timber Bamboo Not Cold-Hardy for Kennesaw (Zone 7)

Q: Spacing for giant timber bamboo in Kennesaw? Online says Zones 8-10. A: Kennesaw is Zone 7—2014s 6°F would kill it. Clumping bamboos are tropical. Umbrella bamboo (Fargesia nitida) is cold-hardy but not heat/sun toler

Seed-Grown Lemon Tree: Years to Fruit, Better to Buy Meyer

Q: Lemon from seed is bushy but no blooms. Need two plants? A: Citrus often needs 5+ feet height to bloom. Buy a Meyer lemon—stays small, fruits each fall. Acclimate to full sun in spring, bright light indoors in winter.