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Most of the time, covers are used to reduce frost damage, while freeze damage depends on the plant species. CAES News
Cold Protection Options
Whether you’re a home gardener or a production farmer, Georgia’s mild climate allows for a variety of fruits and vegetables to be grown throughout the year. However, with erratic weather events and broad temperature swings during the winter and early spring months, having a few cold protection resources on hand can help you weather the unpredictability.
Apples grow at the Georgia Mountain Research and Education Center in Blairsville, Georgia. In Elijay, the “Apple Capital of Georgia,” orchards accumulated more than 700 chilling hours between Oct. 1 and Dec. 30, 2022. (Photo by John Amis) CAES News
Effects of Cold
With an October freeze followed by a relatively balmy December capped with several consecutive days of subfreezing temperatures, Georgia weather has experienced a few unexpected weather events from autumn into winter. Temperatures at both ends of the spectrum can affect the development of fruit crops during the dormant season, including blueberries and peaches, which are economically important crops in Georgia.
Understanding your soil composition is the first step to fostering an optimal soil ecosystem. A basic soil test measures the level of organic matter, pH, and macronutrients — nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and potassium (K). CAES News
Healthy Soil
The winter months are a great time for gardeners to start catching up on projects they have postponed or to begin planning crop rotations and ordering seeds for the upcoming year. One of the most critical steps to ensuring a productive growing season is to test and prepare the soil, as it will be the foundation that your plants — and success — depend upon.
bee on cone flower CAES News
Starting Seeds
It’s almost that time of year again: January is the month for seed catalogs galore. Seed catalogs are the embodiment of possibility, a chance for gardeners to envision the ever-elusive perfect garden. It is one of my favorite times in the garden year.
Mistletoe's history as a symbol of fertility and love goes back thousands of years, well beyond today’s interpretation as Christmas décor, but when you get down to it, mistletoe is a parasite. CAES News
Killer Mistletoe
While a sprig of mistletoe hung from the ceiling for sweethearts to kiss under is a sweet tradition, too much mistletoe hanging from your trees can lead to trouble later. Its history as a symbol of fertility and love goes back thousands of years, well beyond today’s interpretation as holiday decor, but when you get down to it, mistletoe is a parasite.
Stretch the season of your favorite flowers, like irises, by planting cultivars with different bloom times. CAES News
Plant Color
Gardening is often described as an art and a science. And while this suggests a degree of nuance to gardening, it is also quite true. Landscape design principles used to create an aesthetic garden space include color, form and balance, among others.
Light pink double impatients in bloom. CAES News
2022 Classic City Awards
The Trial Gardens at the University of Georgia recently announced the 12 2022 Classic City Awards winners from 400 entries this year. Over the summer, the team monitored, maintained and judged the plants from 22 companies on a variety of factors that make them desirable.
Aerial view of the UGArden on South Milledge Avenue as UGA and AmeriCorps VISTA students harvest vegetables. (Photo by Andrew Davis Tucker/UGA) CAES News
Growing Places
The gardens JoHannah Biang imagined creating when she was an undergraduate student were filled with ornamental flowers and trees, lush and beautiful, nourishing to the soul. Now, as a doctoral student and long-time manager of UGArden, University of Georgia’s student-run farm, Biang is an integral part of creating and sustaining an operation that has put food on the plates of thousands of underserved individuals and families in the greater Athens area.
Many common houseplants and landscape plants are toxic to pets if ingested. If your pet gets ahold of something you think may be poisonous and begins exhibiting concerning symptoms, call your local veterinarian or the ASPCA Poison Control Center at 888-426-4435. CAES News
Toxic Plants
Every pet owner has probably asked their pet “What do you have in your mouth?!” at least once or twice — it’s an essential part of pet ownership. That’s why responsible pet ownership also includes knowing what houseplants or common flowers may be dangerous — or even fatal — to your pets.
Fall armyworm larvae have a white inverted Y-shaped mark on the front of their dark head. They are smooth skinned and vary in color from light tan or green to nearly black, with three yellowish-white hairlines down the back. The larval stage lasts from three to four weeks and can be damaging to turfgrass and crops. (Photo by USDA Agricultural Research Service Photo Unit, Bugwood.org) CAES News
Fall armyworms
Over the past couple of weeks, I have received numerous calls from curious homeowners and frustrated farmers regarding the dreaded fall armyworm. Damage to established turf is most often aesthetic. However, newly planted sod or sprigs can be severely damaged or even killed by fall armyworm feeding.