2005 Homeowner Comments on New Grasses
In 2005 I asked homeowners to evaluate their experiences with some of the newer grass varieties.

Their responses are more...

Bluegrass (Thermal Blue) - Homeowner Comments
When turf companies market a brand new grass without submitting it to long-term University trials in Georgia, I’m at a loss t more...

Bluegrass - Thermal Blue variety
New varieties of turfgrass come along every year, promising that they are markedly superior to existing grasses. Such is the more...

Brown Patch - Diagnosing
You have brown patches of dead grass in your lawn. Is it the common lawn disease ‘brown patch’ or is it something else? The a more...

Brown Patch Control - N.C. State trial plots
Control of brown patch in tall fescue with monthly fungicide applications in Raleigh, NC.

L.P. Tredway and E.L. Butle more...

Chamberbitter (Mimosa Weed)
In order to respond to the many garden questions I receive, I’ve assembled a crack team of Master Gardeners to help me. There more...

Importance of Soil Temps
The following is a partial list of soil temperatures (°F) at the 4-inch depth that are associated with certain biological eve more...

Lawn - Aeration
According to The Lawn Institute, over two-thirds of American lawns are growing on compacted soils. The signs of compaction ar more...

Lawn - Basic Maintenance
The sweet young couple seated in front of me at a recent home show appearance wore matching worried looks. “We just moved int more...

Lawn - Beer for Fertilizer
One of the most ill-informed decisions of my life was to major in chemistry in college. Sure, I had excelled in the subject i more...

Lawn - Choices Before You Plant
I was recently asked by a writer for Publisher’s Weekly what trends I saw in the local gardening arena. I replied that I sens more...

Lawn - Choosing the Best Grass
The first and most important question to ask is how much sun will be available to the grass. It is much better to use a grass more...

Lawn - Fall Chores
For the first several months of new fatherhood I frequently felt like an idiot. Every time my son spit up a little cereal his more...

Lawn - False Advertisements
The advertisements are colorful and seductive: "Lush green lawn guaranteed!", "Miracle sod!", "Even grows in impossible spots more...

Lawn - Growing in Shade
OK. I admit it. I have given up. I came to the conclusion last fall that grass just would not grow in the corner of my lawn n more...

Lawn - Leveling
A new home in my neighborhood had bermudagrass sod planted in March. By May, one area was a perfect checkerboard of straight more...

Lawn - Leveling Low Spots
Despite your best efforts, your lawn may have spots that are lower than their surroundings. The best time to level lawns is w more...

Lawn - Timing Pre-emergent Herbicide
One of the sourest phrases that can be directed at a child or adult is “I told you so!” Whether you touch a hot match, leave more...

Lawn - Watering
Plants must have water to survive. Water in a plant is like blood in an animal. Water carries dissolved nutrients, sugars and more...

Lawn Care Calendars and Factsheets
Knowing that a piece of paper in your hand is much more helpful than a computer screen in the house, I have compiled basic cu more...

Lawn Fertilizer - Choosing
My son came home the other day complaining about his math assignment. “Why do I have to solve all these word problems?” he pr more...

Lawns - Diagnosing Dead Grass
I regularly drive by a church that has a nice zoysiagrass lawn in front. Knowing that zoysia is usually the last lawn grass t more...

Lawns - Light Needed
Choosing the right grass for a lawn is initially based on how much sunshine the site receives and how much water you are able more...

Mowing Height - Calculating
When a homeowner complained that his bermudagrass was showing lots of scalped areas in fall, I turned to Dr. Clint Waltz, my more...

Mushrooms - Fairy Ring Disease
Rain in summer is appreciated but some folks receive unexpected lawn visitors as a result.

T. S. writes that his lawn more...

Nutsedge (Nutgrass) - Identification
Nutsedge is one of the toughest weeds to control in a lawn or landscape. To further confuse matters, there are two kinds: pur more...

Reveille bluegrass
When a radio listener asked me about a new bluegrass for Georgia, I had to admit I'd never heard of it. Fortunately, I rely o more...

Roundup - Using on Winter Weeds
It is tempting to spray glyphosate (Roundup) on green winter weeds when your lawn grass is brown and dormant.

However more...

Sod - Installed in Fall or Winter
In the Southeastern United States, horticulturists routinely recommend transplanting trees and ornamentals when they a more...

Sod - Watering New
The best time to water a lawn is in the morning, preferably before noon. This allows the grass to dry before nightfall, reduc more...

Soil Temperatures - Apply Pre-emergent
Summer weeds, like crabgrass, must have several consecutive days of temperatures above 55 degrees before they germinate. If t more...

Take All Disease
I am very pleased with my St. Augustine lawn. Despite dire predictions, it has not yet frozen in winter but it has spread han more...

Take-all Patch - Control with Manganese
Take-all patch has become a problem for St. Augustinegrass, zoysiagrass and bermudagrass lawns.

It seems to be related more...

Thermal Blue - Installation Photos
It’s not often that we get to see the process of renovating a home lawn from start to finish. A garden friend recently sent t more...

Turfgrasses - Identifying
Unlike trees, which have distinctive leaves, or blooming plants, which have distinctive flowers, turfgrass is much more diffi more...

Turfgrasses - Selection
There are usually several varieties of each turfgrass from which to choose. Which is the best for your situation? The informa more...

Violet Control - in Lawns
I have been keeping a secret. I have known for two years how to kill violets in fescue lawns. I just haven’t been able to giv more...

Weeds - Identification with Pictures
Weed control in the landscape is a tough business. You have to know a lot about the weed in question just to get started!
more...