Glyphosate (Roundup) damage to several shrubs Q: Can plants other than roses get rose rosette disease? I have nandina, geranium, boxwood, hibiscus, rhododendron and other plants that are showing symptoms of rosette disease. A: Because I see this so often, I believe it is glyphosate damage...

How to prune an overgrown apple tree Q: My new house has a huge overgrown apple tree in the backyard. I have no idea how to care for it or what kind of apples it is producing. It needs to be pruned but am not sure how...

Carissa holly has sprouts of different holly Q: I have several Carissa hollies that have shoots of a common holly, that I assume were the base plant which the Carissa holly was grafted onto. Is there any way to prevent the common holly sprouts? The spines are...

How to prune crapemyrtle to tree form Q: We planted a crapemyrtle that has blazing red flowers and black leaves three ears ago and I want to trim it into a tree. This variety grows ten feet tall. I need details about trimming it in fall. A:...

Why is mysterious dirt dropping from the sky? What could this be?? I received on Sept 25 a note that reads as follows: “I am a project manager for the City of San Diego and we have a construction site at a water treatment plant. In the neighborhood...

What happens if I don’t mow Emerald zoysia? Q: What would happen if I let my emerald zoysia grass grow on a steep bank without mowing? A: It will be “tufty” but could be somewhat attractive. Plant three-inch diameter plugs of grass six inches apart in May. Try...

Can Verry Cherry Plums grow in Georgia? Q: I recently bought some Verry Cherry Plums from the grocery. They were delicious! Can I grow them here? Where can I buy the trees? A: This plum/cherry hybrid could grow in Georgia but you won’t be able to find...

Raccoon scat (droppings) identified Q: Our family recently purchased some acreage near Jefferson and we are beginning to build a horse farm. We found this scat and we were wondering what creature left it? It was about 6-8 inches long and about 1 ½...

Why redbud tree has bumps on trunk Q: What would cause these bumps on the trunk of a redbud tree? A: My friend Bill Blum is a tree connoisseur. He notes that: “the tree is a fairly significant size for an Eastern redbud. So it must be...

Magnolia tree has tufts of brown leaves Q: My magnolia tree has tufts of brown leaves at the ends of several branches. A: I believe you have an infestation of black twig borer. UGA horticulturist Matthew Chappell says: “The borer will enter the stem 6″ to a...

Holly flowers black in fall Q: Can you identify this black muck on the stems of my hollies? It is loose and falls off when touched. A: Great pix and sharp eyes! I think you’re seeing the decomposing holly flowers. You can wash them off...