Roses – Black Spot Resistant

Georgia rose growers know all too well the devastation that black spot can wreak on roses. Planting roses resistant to black spot is the best way to avoid problems. The following article lists some of the most di

Roses – Varieties for the South

The rose is known as "The Queen of Flowers". For this reason, every gardener attempts to grow a rose or two. Some gardeners succeed, some gardeners fail. Why? One factor is that they failed to choose

The Earth-Kind® Rose Program

Roses are one of the most desired of garden flowers. Yet today’s hurried lifestyles often prevent gardeners from tending their roses as they should. The Earth-Kind® Rose Program has been very successful in identi

Tropical Hibiscus – Bringing Indoors

Though several members of the hibiscus family are perfectly content outdoors in an Atlanta winter, the tropical hibiscus is not. If yours has grown vigorously outdoors, you'll have to prune it back somewhat

Tulip

A mass of red tulips behind a bed of blooming pansies can be a real traffic-stopper in March. Apartment and office complexes use hybrid tulips to showcase their landscapes as spring begins. The tall tulips have b

Using Chrysanthemums

Gardeners have two sources of chrysanthemum flowers: from plants that have grown large in their landscape during the summer and from potted specimens that can be planted now. An eight inch potted mum will have hu

Wildflowers

Many readers have noticed the beautiful wildflowers in the median strips of Ga. 400 and Ga. 316. They are so striking now that dreams of repeating the process enter the thoughts of the gardener/motor traveler. Wi

Black Walnut – Allelopathy

Black Walnut trees have a chemical known as juglone in their roots, husks, leaves and bark. Juglone inhibits the growth of many plants which may be growing in your garden or landscape. This inhibition of plant gr

Bleeding Cherry Tree – Gum on Bark

In the world of humans, bleeding is a serious and troubling thing. If something causes us to bleed we immediately take action because we understand that the loss of excessive amounts of blood can cause us great h

Bradford Pear – Pruning

I recently received a query that has been repeated over and over this spring. A gardener in Roswell asks for my advice on the proper pruning of her Bradford pear tree in order to avoid limbs breaking as it gets l

Categories of Tree Damage from Storms

Ice, snow and wind storms can cause extensive damage to trees. Snow and ice add tons of extra weight to individual trees. Stems and branches break, while some trees may be completely bent over. Storms may kill so

Cherry – Bleeding

Ah, what a beautiful thing is the marriage of intelligent minds! In early June, 2002 I received three questions in one week asking about cherry trees that were oozing sap. Sensing an incipient problem, I queried

Christmas Tree – Selecting

When the winter holidays approach, you want your tree to look its best. Here are my tips for choosing the best tree: 1. Choose a fresh tree. It is simple to say but hard to do! Most of the trees on the corner sa

Crapemyrtle – Which is the Right Way to Prune

There are many opinions on which is the "correct" way to prune a crapemyrtle. A landscape owner may want a smaller tree, more blooms, or less work….all of which demand a different kind of prunin

Dogwood – Diseases

Nothing can panic a homeowner like the threat of disease to their prized dogwoods. Dogwood trees in Atlanta have had several problems this spring. Brown, distorted leaves and severe leaf drop are common complaint

Eucalyptus – Success Stories

When I replied to a newspaper reader about his chances of success with eucalyptus (low, in my opinion), I invited readers to share their eucalyptus stories. To my chagrin, at least a few folks have succeeded with

Japanese Maple – Moving

I recently received an urgent e-mail from Joe: “I need to immediately move an eight foot tall Japanese maple this week or lose it forever. How do I go about digging it up? What precautions should be taken?” I cou

Leaf Drop – Crapemyrtle

I called into your radio show with a question about massive leaf drop on a section of a 15 to 20 feet Crepe Myrtle Tree. Before you wasted time on research, I wanted to let you know that the issue has been resolv

Leaf Drop – Maple, Poplar, Sweetgum

Rainy summer weather brings high humidity, which favors the development of leaf spot diseases. I commonly see the diseases affect sweetgum, poplar and maples in summer. Not all trees will be infested…even t

Leyland Cypress – Diseases

Two diseases commonly cause brown branches on Leyland cypress: seridium canker and botryosphaeria canker. Notes from Dr. Jean L. Williams-Woodward Extension Plant Pathologist – Ornamentals The best way to t