Perennial Alternatives to Purple Fountain Grass

Purple fountain grass is annual (sterile seed). Perennial substitutes: Switchgrass cultivars Shenandoah, Heavy Metal, Cheyenne Sky (red/purple foliage); Muhly grass (pink fall plumes). Check photos online.

Turning a Stock Tank into a Planter

Drill 1 holes, add 12 layer of capped soda bottles, cover with landscape fabric, fill with potting soil + perlite (1 qt per cu ft). Elevate on pressure-treated wood. Prime/paint if desired—repaint every few years.

Overseeding Fescue into St. Augustine Sprigs

Fescue and St. Augustine compete for ~2 years. Sprig St. Augustine 12 apart, overseed fescue. Once St. Augustine dominates, kill remaining fescue with atrazine.

Corn Smut: Gross to Some, Delicacy to Others

White/gray galls on ears = corn smut (huitlacoche). Mexicans prize it for soups/eggs. Spores overwinter on debris—remove all stalks after harvest. Resistant varieties exist but rarely labeled. Dont search corn smut onlin

Society Garlic: Seed Collection and Deer Resistance

Collect seed when capsules turn papery. Sow in spring—cold sensitive. Dry shade groundcover. Name from belief eating bulb prevents bad breath. Deer avoid it until desperate.

Legal Landscape Plans: Hire a Registered Architect

Georgia law: only Registered Landscape Architects can sell plan-only designs. Contractors can design only if they also install. Garden designers must partner with a contractor. You can hire an architect for plans and DIY

Learning Edible Wild Plants: Classes Before Books

Take field classes first (Mark Warren in Dahlonega, Patricia Kyritsi Howell in Rabun Co.). Then use guides: Newcombs Wildflower Guide, Botany in a Day, Brills Edible/Medicinal Plants, Howells Medicinal Plants of Southern

Low-Maintenance Hybrid Bermuda: Tifton 10

TifWay & TifGreen need frequent mow/fert. Tifton 10 (Shanghai) has coarser, bluish-green blades, spreads aggressively, resists weeds, needs only 2–3 fert/year at 1.5-in height. Best low-input hybrid.

Late Summer Squash Replanting

Summer squash matures in 50–60 days. Replant zucchini by mid-August for fall harvest. Details at bit.ly/GAsquash.

Ant Baits Work—If You Wait a Week

Surface sprays dont kill colonies. Baits take 7+ days to show decline. Make boric acid bait: 4 tbsp peanut butter, 6 tbsp honey, 1 tsp boric acid in bottle cap on soil. More at bit.ly/antcontrol.

Rescuing Waterlogged Plants in Rainy Summer

1) Remove excess mulch. 2) Divert water away from beds. 3) Prune overhead branches for sun (careful with shade plants). 4) Lift plants, amend with gritty sand/expanded slate, replant.

Fall Potato Planting: Low Success, Try Anyway

Fall potatoes risky—warm soil, then frost. If trying, plant organic store potatoes early August in 6-in furrow, hill as they grow, fertilize, harvest before mid-Nov frost. Need 110 frost-free days.

Wild Violet Control in Bermuda Lawn

Confront is restricted-use. Use triclopyr (Bonide Chickweed, Clover & Oxalis Killer) labeled for lawns—effective on violets.

Dodder (Devil's Hair): Parasitic Vine Control

Yellow thread-like stems coil on hosts, then root into them. Pull and destroy infected plants immediately. Monitor next spring—prevent establishment. Hard to control once attached.

Bees at the Pool: Redirect with Water Stations

Bees love pools (maybe chlorine). Dont harm them. Place pans of pool water near hives with a sponge landing pad. Theyll learn to use the alternative source.

Cherry Leaf Spot: Summer Defoliation Management

Reddish-purple spots → yellow → drop by September. Wet weather fuels it. Spray chlorothalonil or copper fungicide after petal fall next spring. Now: rake all fallen leaves, mulch in January. Mark calendar for spring spra

When to Pick Cherry Bomb Peppers

Edible at any color. Heat peaks at green-to-red transition; sweetness increases as red deepens. Taste test green vs. red to decide your preference.

Planting Hostas and Azaleas Under Red Oaks

Mulch under oaks encourages feeder roots. Plant hostas (1-ft holes) and azaleas (2-ft holes) using trowel, mix native soil with planting mix, water well. Shallow-rooted companions thrive.

Paulownia Sprouts: Patience and Persistence

Cut paulownia roots send sprouts 30 ft away. Mow repeatedly or spot-spray broadleaf herbicide. Both starve roots slowly. Garden Patience (humor) is the real requirement.

Finding Elderberry: Transplant from the Wild

Elderberry (Sambucus) colonizes aggressively—nurseries rarely sell it. Locate near water (with permission), dig a young plant, and transplant. Its attractive but invasive.