Maintenance – African Violets

Q: I have several African violets and they all had wonderful blooms in our sun room. But all have stopped blooming and have a hard core center leaf section. A: It’s common for the lower leaves on an African viol

Gardening Coach – Options and Help

Q: I would like to hire a gardening coach. I moved into this home last summer and inherited a beautiful landscape, but I worry that I'm going to ruin it. I have thrown myself into a world that I have never

Apricots – Planting In Georgia

Q: Is there any chance that apricots will grow in Sharpsburg, Georgia ? I don’t want to waste my money buying a tree that wont bear fruit. A: Growing apricots in this area begins a quick trip to heartbreak hotel.

Ryegrass – Germination In Febuary

Q: If I overseed with rye grass the first of February, will it germinate? A: It all depends on soil temperature. Ryegrass needs a minimum soil temperature of 45 degrees to germinate. Soil temperatures in Februar

Coffee – Growing In Atlanta?

Q: I heard you talking about coffee beans on the radio but I didn't hear if we can grow them in Georgia. A: There are dozens of species of coffee plants, several of which yield beans from which coffee can b

Hydrangea – Pruning

Q: We have some huge oakleaf hydrangea that need to be cut back. When is the best time to do it? A: Oakleaf hydrangea doesn’t usually require pruning but if it’s too big for a spot you can perform selective prun

Sunlight – Calculating Daily Exposure

Q: I have heard that there is a sunlight calculator on the market that measures the amount of sunlight that a specific garden spot gets. Have you heard of this? A: Getting a handle on how much sunlight an area r

Buzzards – Everything You Ever Wanted To Know!

Q: When an animal dies, Buford the Buzzard comes calling. Exactly what species are around here? Where do they hang out and wait for the dinner bell? A: According to The Turkey Vulture Society (yes, there is one!

Onions – Softball Sized and Bigger?

Q: A guy on your radio show asked about growing softball-size onions. We planted Vidalia onions several years ago and they were a lot bigger than softballs! A: I have no doubt your onions were big, but you likel

Yoshino cryptomeria – Turning Brown

Q:My son’s Yoshino cryptomerias were planted in the fall in full sun. I also have some in my yard, planted a year ago. Mine are green but his are getting a bronze color. A: It's common for ‘Yoshino’ crypto

Trees – Why Are They Grafted?

Q: Why are many trees I buy grafted and why do they seem to fail at the graft (break off, split open, etc). A: Trees are commonly grafted because it takes longer (i.e. costs more) to grow them from cuttings. The

Loropetalum Shrubs – When To Plant?

Q: We want to do away with old shrubs in front of our house and replace them with several loropetalum shrubs. When should we plant them? A: Now is a fine time to plant but your first step is to choose the right l

Ponytail Plant – When Can You Separate Offsets?

Q: My mother has a ponytail plant on her back porch in Cairo. It has "babies" growing on the base. How can she start them to be separate plants? A: Ponytail palm, Beaucarnea recurvata, is not a true

Onions – Planting A Sweet Vidalia

Q: Someone gave me two bundles of Vidalia onion plants, little bulbs with green stems. What should I do with them now? A: Plant the seedlings in a sunny bed now, twelve inches apart. Feed regularly with fertiliz

Slugs – Dealing With Molluscs

Q: I had a problem last year with slugs munching on my strawberries. What is a safe way to eliminate them? A: Several effective slug control products contain iron phosphate, a type of fertilizer. Slugs and snail

Squash – Planting Butternut Seeds

Q: I bought a butternut squash at the grocery and would like to save the seeds to plant later. What do I do with them once they are dried out? A: The fruit you harvest from the saved seeds will certainly be edib

Tomatoes – Drip Irrigation Method

Q: I've decided to use drip irrigation for my tomatoes this spring. Any advice on how many gallons per hour, how often, where to locate the drip hose , etc? A: Water specifications depend a lot on your per

Fescue – Will Birds Eat All Your Seed?

Q: If I put out my fescue grass seed in February, is there a chance birds will eat it before it has a chance to germinate? A: University of Georgia turf expert Clint Waltz says the likelihood of all the seed bei

Leaf Mold – What Is It?

Q: What is leaf mold? It is one of the items suggested for bonsai soil. A: Leaf mold is just composted leaves. This is in contrast to "compost" which has had green things added to the mix to speed up

Bermudagrass Lawn – Lawn Care In Atlanta

Q: I'm from Canada and have recently moved to Atlanta. How do I tell if I have bermuda or fescue grass? We’re desperate to have a nice lawn in a very nice neighbourhood. We're not in Toronto anymore!