Repotting Anthuriums: Skip the Stones, Use a Coffee Filter

Repotting an anthurium? Dont add stones to the pot bottom—it actually harms the plant by reducing the just right moisture zone. The Science Potted soil has three moisture zones: too dry (top), just right (middle), too w

Walnut Mulch Toxicity: Juglone Damage to Garden Vegetables

Fresh shredded mulch from a power-line crew may have contained walnut chips, which release juglone toxic to tomatoes, cukes, eggplants. Even without walnut, thick fresh mulch can harm roots with raw sap. This year’s gard

Collecting and Germinating Japanese Maple Seeds

Maple seeds need 3 months cold stratification, but try sowing a dozen now in a shady pot. Store rest cool/dry. In October, sow 1″ apart, ½″ deep in shade, cover with chicken wire. Transplant strongest seedlings to mornin

Herbicide Residue After Ivy Removal: Test with Radishes Before Planting Vegetables

Most weed killers dissipate within six months. To test, till the area and sow radish seeds in shallow rows. Normal radish growth indicates safe conditions for vegetables.

Dodder: Parasitic Vine That Strangles Garden Plants

Orange, spaghetti-thin vines without roots are dodder (Cuscuta), a parasite. It wraps hosts, taps their vascular tissue, then loses ground connection. Control: pull and destroy all infected plants immediately; monitor ne

African Violet “Neck”: Repot Every Six Months to Cover Bare Stem

Lower leaves drop over time, exposing a bare stem. Every six months, remove bottom half-inch of rootball, reset in pot, and add soil up to lowest leaves. The buried stem will root.

Pruning Arborvitae: Severe Cuts Lead to Permanent Bare Spots

Needled evergreens like arborvitae don’t regrow from old wood. Cutting back 6 feet will leave permanent gaps. Better to replace with a boxwood or holly that tolerates shaping.

August Buzzing: May Beetles Feeding in Tree Canopies

Morning buzzing in August is likely May beetles (Phyllophaga spp.) feeding on oak, hickory, poplar, crabapple leaves. Their C-shaped grubs damage grass roots in early summer. Shine a flashlight to spot them. Grub control

Judging Watermelon Ripeness: Watch the Tendril, Not the Size

Watermelons ripen slowly if leaf-to-fruit ratio is low—remove some fruit to concentrate energy. The tendril opposite the fruit stem turns yellow/brown when ripe. Details at “When to Harvest Fruits and Vegetables.” unrip

Using Old Azalea Fertilizer: Wait Until February for Safe Application

Four-year-old azalea fertilizer is fine but apply in February when plants are actively growing. Fall feeding risks tender growth before frost. Pulverize lumps and follow label rates.

Finding Rotenone Insecticide: Often Combined with Pyrethrin

Rotenone, derived from tropical roots, has been used for centuries. Today it’s usually blended with pyrethrin for balanced environmental impact. Find it at organic gardening suppliers locally or online.

Azalea Caterpillars: Red-Headed Defoliators Controlled by Bt

Azalea caterpillar (Datana major) clusters on limb tips in autumn, making a “C” shape when disturbed. They defoliate random branches but won’t kill the plant. Spray with Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) or wait for hornets an

Fast-Growing Groundcovers for Sun and Shade

Shade: Lenten rose or mondo grass. Sun: spreading juniper, purple euonymus. More options at xrl.us/groundcover.

Best Time to Plant Camellias: Mid-September to Mid-November

Fall planting (mid-Sept to mid-Nov) gives warm soil for root growth and cool air reducing water needs. Loosen soil 3–6 times rootball width. Water deeply every 2–3 weeks in Dec–Mar since camellias are evergreen.

Raccoons at Bird Feeders: They Won’t Starve If You Stop Feeding

Six raccoons visiting a yard with bird feeders. They are highly adaptable and will find other food. Feeding raccoons invites rabies risk—never a good idea.

Preventing Tomato Fusarium Wilt Recurrence: Sanitize Supports and Choose Resistant Varieties

Fusarium wilt lives in soil, but sanitize cages and red plastic mulch trays by washing thoroughly and sun-drying. Plant resistant varieties labeled “VFN.”

Moths in Hanging Ferns: Caterpillars Are the Real Culprits

Small white moths don’t eat leaves—their caterpillars do. High moth numbers this fall include webworms, armyworms, etc. Spray ferns with any garden insecticide; cold nights below 60°F will end the infestation.

Ten Distinctive Native Plants for Boy Scout Identification

Suggested list: poison ivy, Virginia creeper, white oak, southern red oak, sweetgum, dogwood, loblolly pine, red maple, tulip poplar, Christmas fern, goldenrod, American euonymus, Joe Pye weed, sumac. All are distinctive

Getting Spinach Seeds to Sprout: Pre-Chill and Time Planting

Spinach germinates best at 50–55°F soil temp. In south Georgia, try pre-sprouting: alternate damp paper towel in fridge/out for 4 days, then plant in shade. Mulch lightly with straw for winter survival. Malabar spinach i

Shademaster Locust: Pros, Cons, and Alternative Fast Shade Trees

‘Shademaster’ thornless honeylocust tolerates urban conditions, has small leaflets that rarely need raking, and sometimes shows yellow fall color. It’s created by grafting a thornless bud onto native rootstock. For more