Monday, November 1, 2010

Deep Water Your Citrus


This has been an exceedingly dry Fall and if you have Citrus trees, you should consider deep watering. Extended drought during the bearing and sizing stage can cause Citrus to drop fruit due to stress. The best way to stop this is deep watering. Place your hose at the base of your Citrus tree and turn on the water so that it is barely trickling out. Let the water run this way for one to two hours. Repeat this deep watering twice a week through this dry spell. Deep watering once or twice a week is much better than watering a little bit every day. If you only water for a few minutes each day, the root system will develop near the surface, whereas if you water deeply a few times per week, the root system will develop deeper and you will have a healthier tree.

Monday, October 11, 2010

Funky Fungus


A customer brought this fungus in for identification and it was so cool I wanted to share it with everyone. It's called "Bird's Nest" fungus and it typically grows on cow dung or decaying mulch. The "eggs" are actually the spores which are spread by raindrops falling into the "nest." They are harmless, but if you have these or any other fungus in your yard that you want to get rid of, simply sprinkle a little Hydrated Lime over them and they will dry up.

Saturday, October 2, 2010

It's Finally Fall!




Fall has finally arrived and we are ready with all your fall decorating needs. The mums are gorgeous and we have pumpkins and bales of wheat straw. Come enjoy the beautiful weather with us!

Saturday, August 21, 2010

End of Summer Sale

Greetings from the Island. It's been a long, hot summer, but Fall will be here before you know it. Come help us clear out the old to make room for the new. We have a big selection of plants on sale throughout the nursery. Fall is the ideal time of year for planting and transplanting. Come on in and get some great deals.

Thursday, June 17, 2010

Got Milkweed?


Do you want to attract more butterflies to your garden? If so, you should plant Butterfly Milkweed. This tough and easy perennial loves sun and reseeds easily. Milkweed is the larval food for Swallowtail Butterfly caterpillars. The butterfly will lay eggs on the plant and the caterpillars will hatch and eat until they are ready to make a cocoon. Every year the plant will come back and so will the butterflies. Other butterfly attractors include Lantana, Pentas, Parsley, and Fennel.

Saturday, June 5, 2010

The Heat Is On!


Summer has arrived in Savannah. The heat and humidity will spawn all sorts of problems in your lawn and garden. Fungus will be rampant and I suggest an application of fungicide to your lawn to keep it under control. Watch plants for signs of fungus and treat as needed. If you aren't sure, bring a sample of the infected plant in to the store and we can make a diagnosis. Watch for bad bugs. I've seen lots of mealy bugs recently. They look like fluffy white cotton on the stalks of the plant. Knock them off with water or spray with a lightweight horticultural oil. Keep fertilizing your flowering plants, especially hanging baskets and containers, with a liquid fertilizer. We recommend ferti-lome Rooting and Blooming.

Wednesday, May 5, 2010

Don't Bug Out!


I have had a few worried customers bring me jars full of these little striped bugs. They are called Barklice and they are harmless to both you and your plants. There is no need to spray them. Barklice eat lichen and decaying plant material. When they hatch out there can be hundreds of them swarming around on things. You may also notice a fine white webbing on the trunks of the trees that looks like a white stocking has been pulled over them. This is their protective house. They won't hurt anything and will go away on their own.