Georgia Grown-To-Go Event at Coolray Field

Tents with boxes of produce. People pulled their vehicles up to them where
their vehicles were loaded with the boxes they pre-orederd.

The second Georgia Grown-To-Go Event was held at Coolray Field on June 25. The drive-thru farmers market was made possible through a partnership between Gwinnett County, the Gwinnett Stripers and the Georgia Department of Agriculture. Lindsey Jorstad, Gwinnett County Outreach Manager, said there were a little more than 750 pre-orders made two hours before preordering closed Wednesday. An additional 1,500 to 3,000 boxes were available Thursday as well for day-of sales, she said. Paul Thompson, marketing division director for the Georgia Department of Agriculture, said there were seven farms represented at the event. 
Please refer to the full article from the Gwinnett Daily Post for more on the story: https://tinyurl.com/y7htq6jo.

UGA Extension Gwinnett handed out bags with Extension publications and factsheets
to those who came to get the produce.

Watermelons were among the produce offerred.

Azaleas Troubled by Lacebugs

This azalea plant has a heavy lacebug infestation. It is growing in the full sun
making it more susceptible to the insects.

One of the most common insect pests of azaleas are lacebugs. They are small insects roughly one-eighth of an inch long with lace wings. They have pierce sucking mouth parts that suck fluid out of the leaves. The results are yellow to brown colored leaves that appear unsightly. The insects do not harm the plants; however, they can greatly degrade their appearance. 

Azaleas prefer to grow in sites that are part shade. If planted in full sun, they suffer stress and are more prone to being attacked by these pests. 

Control measures need to start early in the season. You will new leaves coming out that are green with the old ones having the damage from the previous year. Use a systemic insecticide according to label directions.  Bayer Advanced and Ortho have insecticides that are useful.

Bigleaf hydrangea blooms color the summer landscape

Mophead big leaf hydrangeas provide color in the shade

    The bigleaf hydrangeas, also called French, mophead, or snowball hydrangeas, are the most popular and well-known hydrangeas grown in our area. They bloom profusely during the early summer months with pink to dark blue globular clusters of flowers and have thick medium to dark green leaves. The plants are attractive in the landscape and can be used as a specimen, group of plants, or in containers. They are also used in flower arrangements. More than 500 varieties are available in the nursery trade, and they can be divided into two types. The hortensia hydrangeas have giant snowball like blooms. The flat lacecaps have their blooms in an outer ring of large flowers and a mass of tiny fertile ones on the inside.

Lace caps bigleaf hydrangeas.

     Bigleaf hydrangeas are deciduous shrubs and have a rapid growth rate reaching several feet in height. They should be planted in a partly shaded area. The plants prefer a couple of hours of the early morning sun but cannot tolerate hot, dry sites that receive the full afternoon sun. However, avoid deep shade since they require at least three to four hours of morning sunlight daily. Excessive shade will reduce the production of flowers.

    Hydrangeas do not perform well in our heavy clay soils. Add 50 pounds per 10 square feet of organic matter such as peat moss, topsoil, or compost to the soil in the area where they are planted, which will loosen the clay soil by helping to improve aeration and drainage as well as helping retain nutrients and water.  Dig the hole the depth of the rootball and at least twice as wide. When planting, make sure the crown of the plant is level with the top of the hole and no deeper. Avoid fertilization until the plant is established, around four to eight weeks after transplanting. During the growing season, apply a general-purpose fertilizer, such as 10-10-10, in March, May, and July.

     The bigleaf hydrangea has shallow roots and a high water requirement. It should be planted in moderate water-use landscape zones. Excessively dry conditions will cause them to wilt, so the soil needs to be kept evenly moist. When the flowers begin to turn green or brown, remove them. Prune other shoots as necessary to encourage branching and fullness. Any pruning should be finished by August 1st. The new buds will begin forming in late summer for the following year. If the plant has sustained winter injury, prune out the dead or damaged branches. This action will encourage more vegetative growth at the expense of flowers but will be beneficial for the plant's overall health. Sometimes the plants fail to bloom. The cause is most likely freeze damage, excessive nitrogen fertilizer, or pruning at the wrong time of the year.

       The level of aluminum compounds in the plants is the mechanism that determines the flower color. Higher levels of aluminum cause the flowers to be a deep blue. The color is light blue when only minimal quantities are present. If aluminum is absent, then the flowers are pink. Soil pH has an indirect impact on flower color. It determines the level of aluminum available for plant absorption. At a pH of 5.0 or lower, aluminum is more soluble, and thus the roots can absorb more of it. At a pH of 7.0 or higher, aluminum levels decrease. If you want blue flowers, you can acidify the soil by adding ½ cup of wettable sulfur per 10 square feet. For pink flowers, apply one cup of dolomitic limestone per 10 square feet to raise the pH. It may take a year or more before color changes are observable. 

     Bigleaf hydrangeas are a worthy addition to the garden. If given the right growing conditions, the plants will put on a show with their colorful blooms.

For more information, please refer to the website of the American Hydrangea Society at www.americanhydrangeasociety.org.

Crape myrtles produce attractive displays of flowers during the summer

Crape myrtles are attractive low maintenance flowering trees

    One of the most beautiful ornamental plants in the landscape is the crape myrtle. During the summer months, these plants bloom produce many blooms while needing minimum maintenance. They are long-lived, can tolerate dry conditions after becoming established, and are relatively free of disease and insect difficulties. Crape myrtles have an extensive range of colors from red and pink to lavender and white. The plants can range from less than 3 feet to more than 20 feet, depending on cultivar, and its plant of great versatility. It performs well in confined spaces and is well-suited for small areas. Crape myrtles develop several main stems, with multi-trunk crape myrtles being preferable to single stem plants.  

     Crape myrtles grow under adverse soil conditions but perform better if planted in soil that has been well prepared. Like with other ornamentals trees and shrubs, dig the hole twice the width of the root ball and no deeper than the top of the root ball. Fill in the hole with the backfill that was dug out after removing rocks and other debris. Research has shown that organic matter amendments are not necessary when planting in individual holes. Water the plants thoroughly once a week until the plants become established. After that, crape myrtles can tolerate extended dry spells; however, supplemental watering enhances flowering. Avoid applications of fertilizers high in nitrogen, which causes the plant to produce fewer flowers and more vegetative growth susceptible to pests and, if fertilized in the fall, more vulnerable to cold damage. Light applications of fertilizers in spring and summer are all that is needed.

     The most common pest on crape myrtles is powdery mildew. It appears as a white to grayish powder on the surfaces of leaves, flowers, and new shoots. It is most frequent are the plants are growing in shady, damp locations with poor air circulation and prefer dry, warm days and cool night temperatures and high humidity. To control the fungus, locate plants in full sun and planting resistant varieties like ‘Natchez,’ ‘Muskogee,’ ‘Sioux,’ and ‘Tuskegee.’ Chemical control of powdery mildew is difficult to achieve. Sometimes tiny insects called aphids infest the crape myrtles and secrete a sugary substance that causes black sooty mold. The aphids can be controlled by applications of insecticidal soaps or summer horticultural oils. Crape myrtle flowers on new growth of the season, so you can prune plants any time during the late winter or early spring before growth begins without flower buds.

   Pruning the crape myrtles allows for the development of an abundance of new shoots and flowers. Do not prune in the early fall before frost since it forces new growth, thus preventing the plant from going dormant, leading to freezing damage. The best time to prune is in the winter months during dormancy. However, very little pruning is necessary, and often people prune crape myrtles far more than is necessary.

    With minimal efforts, crape myrtles are a beautiful addition to the landscape. No landscape is complete without them.

Area Lawns Being Troubled by Fungal Disease

The UGA Extension Gwinnett office has received numerous calls from residents concerned about dead spots appearing on their lawns. In most cases the cause is a fungal disease. The conditions have been favorable for their development in the past couple of weeks. The warm days, cool nights and abundant moisture have caused these diseases to become problematic.
    The most common one is brown patch and large patch diseases, which are both caused by the same fungus, Rhizoctonia solani. Brown patch attacks cool season grasses such as tall fescue. It also causes leaf spots and "smoke rings" -- thin, brown borders around the diseased patches, which are one to two feet in diameter. The symptoms are most frequently observed in the early morning.The disease is more prevalent during the summer months. Remember cool season grasses thrive in cooler weather and can suffer stress during the heat of our summers. It also causes leaf spots and "smoke rings" -- thin, brown borders around the diseased patches that appear most frequently in the early morning.

        Brown patch disease attacks cool season grasses, such as tall fescue.  

               Photograph by Lee Miller, University of Missouri  

    Large patch disease affects warm season grasses such as bermudagrass, zoysiagrass and centipedegrass. It has a some what different appearance than brown patch. the rings are considerably larger, two to ten feet in diameter. On the outer edges, a light brown to orange color appears. Sometimes the fungus can come back year after year in the same location. It occurs on the leaf sheaths forming a reddish brown to black water soaked lesions. The foliage dies back from the top to the base of the blade. Large patch disease is more prevalent in the fall and spring, but is also troublesome during the summer. 

Large patch disease attacks warm season grasses such as bermudagrass.
Photograph by Barb Corwin, Turfgrass Diagnostics

   For control, avoid applying too much high nitrogen fertilizer on the lawn, which promotes the fungus. Have you soil tested through UGA Extension Gwinnett and fertilize according to recommendations. Water earlier in the day before noon to allow for the grass to dry before the evening. Make sure you mow your lawn at the correct height, and the blade is sharpened. A dull mower blade shreds the ends of the grass making them more susceptible to pests and gives it an off-color appearance. Aerate with a hollow tine aerator of your lawn has not been done so in the past three years.
   Fungicides can be applied according to label directions to help suppress the fungus and reduce its ability to spread. Examples include Spectracide Immunox and the Bayer Advanced and Ortho products.

Slime Molds are Interesting but Harmless Organisms

   Many area residents are observing strange life forms that appear to be some fungus. They are being found on plants, mulched beds, and soil. What are they? These are the slime molds. However, they are not molds, which are fungi. The organisms are protozoans, which include amoebas.

    Slime molds appear in the summer after rainfall events. People will see them when they form large, colorful colonies.

    In mulches, slime molds typically appear in summer after rainfall and are frequently observed when they form large, colorful colonies. They can be up to two feet in diameter but are often smaller. Its color varies. Though they may appear as parasites, they feed on decaying organic matter and pose no threat to people, plants, or pets.  When conditions are no longer favorable for them, they will dry up and disappear. They produce spores that the wind carries away.

 If their appearance of slime molds is bothersome, you can use a hose and wash them away. Rake them away or turn them under by a shovel. In some cases, they show up on turfgrasses, and mowing can remove them.

Slime molds are exciting and fascinating organisms. Enjoy their unique appearance.

Slime mold on a thyme plant.

'Dog Vomit' slime mold.

Slime mold on turfgrass

Controlling bamboo infestations takes time and patience

                        

    Driving on the roads throughout the county, I observe many plantings of bamboo in the yards of many residences as well as on commercial properties. The plant has an attractive appearance and screens out unwanted views. Bamboo is a type of grass that has woody stems. However, it can be quite invasive, and if left unchecked, it will almost certainly get out of control and overtake your yard. What should you do if it has become established on your property or a neighbor’s property and is spreading to yours? Several tactics are available for controlling bamboo infestations. Eliminating it from an area may take a considerable amount of time, possibly two or more growing seasons depending on the severity of the problem.

     The best way to control bamboo is to prevent an infestation in the first place. Avoid planting it all together. If you want the benefits of screening, choose another, non-invasive for this purpose. Examples include wax myrtles, ‘Nelly R. Stevens’ holly, ‘Burford’ hollies, arborvitaes, and numerous others. These plants will fill in the area and provide the privacy screen you are seeking without the invasive characteristics.

     The quickest way to get rid of bamboo is to cut it down and dig out its root mass and rhizomes as possible. However, this method is complicated, labor intensive and time-consuming since its roots can grow down quite deep into the soil. Cutting the bamboo down to the ground and continually mowing the new sprouts will cause the bamboo roots to deplete their food reserves. However, this may take a couple of years to accomplish. Another way to control the spread of bamboo is to erect a barrier. Dig a trench 18 to 24 inches deep around the clump of bamboo and insert 24-inch wide aluminum flashing, wood, corrugated fiberglass, rubber or some other suitable material edgewise into it. Leave at least two inches of the material above ground to keep the rhizomes or roots from climbing over it. This method is especially useful if the property that adjoins yours has bamboo and the owners are not making the effort to control it. Periodically monitor the barrier for rhizomes that may escape and climb over the barrier. 

     Herbicides can be applied to eliminate bamboos. Cut down the bamboo back to ground level. Springtime is the best time of the year to do so. When the shoots begin to sprout, and their leaves have expanded, apply the herbicide Round-up. Multiple applications will be necessary to eliminate the infestation. Avoid getting the chemical on desirable plants since Roundup is a nonselective herbicide meaning that it potentially will kill any plant material it touches. Remember, when using pesticides follow all label directions and safety precautions.

     One of the most important components of controlling bamboo is to avoid planting it. Never help it get established in the first place and encourage your neighbors not to do so either. However, for existing infestations, controlling it may seem like an impossible task, but persistence will eventually get rid of it.

General Assembly recognizes UGA’s TifTuf Bermudagrass

Tiftuf bermudagrass was developed at the University of Georgia
and is widely used. Photograph from Charlotte Stories August 5, 2018 edition.

     Earlier this spring, the Georgia General Assembly passed a pair of resolutions recognizing the University of Georgia-developed bermudagrass TifTuf. Adopted during the 2020 legislative session, the House and Senate resolutions commend the continuous success of the Georgia-grown TifTuf and the work of its developers, UGA faculty members Wayne Hanna and Brian Schwartz, and acknowledge that “the highly acclaimed new bermudagrass variety is taking the turfgrass industry by storm” in Georgia.

   The House resolution was authored by Rep. Houston Gaines (R-117), and the Senate resolution was authored by Sen. John Wilkinson (R-50).“This recognition from the legislature was a complete surprise to us because Brian and I were just doing our jobs,” said Hanna, professor of crop and soil sciences in the College of Agricultural And Environmental Sciences at UGA-Tifton. “I am thankful that the university gives us the freedom to be creative and to develop these grasses and other inventions that serve the taxpayer and public.”

     Hanna and Schwartz have been developing and testing TifTuf for almost 25 years, demonstrating that the bermudagrass variety uses 38 percent less water and retains 95 percent more green leaf tissue during drought stress when compared to other varieties. “Wayne and I are extremely proud of its superior drought-tolerant characteristics and its ability to maintain such an aesthetic appearance across different residential and commercial applications,” said Schwartz, associate professor of crop and soil sciences at UGA-Tifton.

 The research of Wayne Hanna (left) and Brian Schwartz led to the creation of TifTuf, a bermudagrass hybrid that is the strongest UGA has ever produced. (Photo by Dorothy Kozlowski/UGA)

    Licensed through Innovation Gateway, UGA’s technology commercialization office, TifTuf is one of the biggest economic drivers for the state’s turfgrass industry, which generates an estimated $9 billion in economic impact every year. TifTuf is exclusively licensed to New Concept Turf, a Georgia company. Its marketing and sublicensing agent, The Turfgrass Group, based in Cartersville, Georgia, has partnered with six Georgia growers, with numerous TifTuf production sites across the state, and nearly 60 additional growers across the country.

     “The university and its researchers work closely with state and industry partners to create and license new plant cultivars that benefit Georgia’s agriculture industry,” said Shelley Fincher, licensing manager at Innovation Gateway. “TifTuf is quickly becoming one of the bestselling plant varieties ever developed at UGA.”

     TifTuf’s durability has been demonstrated in several locations around the world, including UGA’s campus, Atlanta’s Centennial Olympic Park, the Sydney Opera House in Australia and many other fields and golf courses. Story from UGA Columns June 1, 2020 by Tyler G. Duggins

Crape Myrtles Thrive in the Summer Home Landscape

Crape myrtles are excellent for the summer landscape, they produce attractive,
colorful blossoms, and require minimal maintenance. 

     Some of the most attractive ornamental plants commonly grown in Georgia are the crape myrtles. These plants bloom profusely during the summer and require minimal maintenance. They grow rapidly, have long life spans, and are drought tolerant after becoming established. Crape myrtles have a multitude of valuable uses in the landscape. Since their height is usually 30 feet or less and the roots can grow in restricted areas, they are commonly planted in urban environments such as around office buildings, parking lot islands, traffic medians, and along the sides of streets.
    The most common species of crape myrtle is Lagerstromia indica, a native of China and Korea, and L. fauriei, which is native to Japan. The two species have been crossed to form some excellent hybrids. Crape myrtles varieties come in a multitude of colors ranging from deep purple to red to white, with almost every shade in between. The time of blooming depends upon the particular cultivar. Their heights can vary from less than 3 feet up to 30 feet. Crape myrtles have the additional attractive features of bark coloration, peeling bark, and foliage color. The color of the bark ranges from light gray to reddish brown. Some cultivars have a peeling or exfoliating bark, exposing various colors. Fall foliage can range from brilliant yellow to orange to red colors.
     Crape myrtles need to be planted in locations receiving full sun exposure with good air circulation. They can tolerate many types of soil conditions, but perform best in well drained soil with a pH of 5.0 to 6.5. As with other ornamental plants, dig the hole twice the width of the root ball and no deeper than the top of the root ball. Fill in the hole with the backfill that was dug out after removing rocks and other debris. Organic soil amendments are not necessary when planting in individual holes because they can discourage the plant roots from outward into the surrounding soil. Water the plants thoroughly once a week until the plants become established. After that, crape myrtles can tolerate extended dry spells. Avoid applications of fertilizers high in nitrogen, which causes the plant to produce less flowers and more vegetative growth susceptible to pests and, if fertilized in the fall, increased vulnerability to cold damage. Light applications of an all purpose fertilizer, such as 10-10-10, in once during the spring and again in the summer are all that is necessary. During the growing season, as their flowers begin to fade, they develop small hard green seed pods.  Carefully prune out the pods which will encourage the production of more flowers. Remove any suckers that arise from the base of the tree during the growing season.
     The most common pest on crape myrtles is powdery mildew, a fungal disease. It appears as a white to grayish powder on the surfaces of leaves, flowers and new shoots. It is most frequent are the plants are growing in shady, damp locations with poor air circulation and prefers warm days, cool night temperatures and high humidity. To control the fungus, locate plants in full sun and in areas of good air circulation. Certain hybrid varieties were developed at the U.S. National Arboretum in Washington, D.C. with resistance to powdery mildew. These hybrids have Indian names like ‘Natchez’, ‘Muskogee,’ ‘Sioux,’ and ‘Tuskegee.’ Chemical control of powdery mildew is difficult to achieve and is usually not recommended.

Gwinnett County Master Gardener Association Garden Tour - Down the Garden Path Saturday June 13

Gwinnett County Master Gardener Association will have its Down the Garden Path Garden Tour on Saturday, June 13, 2020, 9:00am to 4:00pm.

Gwinnett Master Gardeners will showcase seven diverse gardens:

• A Certified Native and Wildlife Habitat employing only native plants
• A formal English style garden with winding paths and water features
• A landscape featuring sustainable practices, statues and a koi pond
• A Charleston style garden utilizing classic Southern plants
• Two inviting pocket size garden retreats

Many gardens are located in shade and on slopes providing ideas on how to beautify a challenging landscape.  All Gardens are along the Highway 78 Corridor from Lilburn / Lawrenceville to Grayson.

You can purchase tickets via PayPal from the website for $16 at gwinnettmastergardeners.com.Tickets will also be available the day of the Garden Tour for $20 at the Rivermist Subdivision Club House. Or you can purchase tickets in advance from Antiques In Old Town in Lilburn for $15.  

See some pictures of gardens from the tours of previous years: