DawsonTimes.com

[ In Garden & Landscape ]
Soil Test Now
Information obtained from a soil test will help you select the proper liming and fertilization program to obtain optimal growth of lawn, garden and ornamental plants...
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[ In Garden & Landscape ]
Liming of Soil
Over a period of time, Dawson County soil tends to become more acid. Rainfall, irrigation, soil erosion, crop removal, and the use of the ammonium form of nitrogen all contribute to a gradual lowering of the pH...
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[ In Garden & Landscape ]
Injury to Trees and Shrubs
Winter injury to fruit plants occurs in the lower trunk, crown or roots near the soil surface.  If damage destroys all inner bark tissue, the plant will die shortly after growth begins in spring.  Damaged inner bark will turn brown, while healthy bark will appear greenish yellow...
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[ In Garden & Landscape ]
Winter Chores in the Landscape
You can still get away with transplanting small trees and shrubs.  I have successfully transplanted many trees and shrubs all the way through early spring.  The key is to not attempt this when the ground is too moist or soggy...
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[ In Garden & Landscape ]
Old Man Frost
I think that we sometimes get the wrong idea about frost occurrence, because we often see frost on plants when the air temperature is above 32 degrees.  However, the air temperature (as indicated by your thermometer or reported by your local weather forecaster) does not have to reach 32 degrees for plant leaves to get cold enough to cause frost...
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[ In Garden & Landscape ]
The Feel of Fall
When selecting trees for fall color,keep in mind that color is more strongly influenced by genes in the plant than by the environment...
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[ In Home Improvement ]
Winter is Just Around the Corner; Is Your Home Ready?
The United States Department of Energy’s Weatherization Assistance Program is available to Georgia residents as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009...
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[ In Garden & Landscape ]
The Rewards of Our Work
Did you know that the plants you nurture improve air quality?  One tree can remove 26 pounds of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.  Landscape plants, including shrubs and turf, remove smoke, dust, and other pollutants from the air...
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[ In Garden & Landscape ]
Are You Over Mulching?
We have long been aware of the importance of not placing excessive amounts of soil over the roots of established trees and shrubs.  However, we sometimes fail to understand that excessive use of mulch around shallow rooted plants has the same detrimental effect...
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[ In Garden & Landscape ]
Protect Honeybees from Pesticides
One of the best ways to reduce honeybee kill is for farmers and gardeners to use pesticides correctly.  By limiting sprays and use pesticides only when bees are not present we can reduce bee kills...
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[ In Garden & Landscape ]
August Garden Tips
During hot, dry, August days, avoid deep cultivation in your flower beds.  Loosening the soil under these conditions reduces water uptake by increasing loss of soil water and damaging surface roots.  Plants often look much worse after cultivation than before...
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[ In Garden & Landscape ]
What Not to Do
Summer is not the time to prune tree limbs.  If there is a broken branch, however, remove the limb (including the jagged break or split) with a clean cut...
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[ In Garden & Landscape ]
Gardening Tips for July
Weed removal in a garden is important for a number of reasons.  It conserves moisture, conserves nutrients in the soil and helps prevent the spread of disease and insects...
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[ In Garden & Landscape ]
Feeding the Vegetable Garden
Most garden soils do not provide or store the amount of essential nutrients required for satisfactory vegetable production.  Subsequently, we rely on fertilizing the garden...
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[ In Garden & Landscape ]
Too Much Can Be As Bad As Too Little
As you know most things in life is not ideal.  This is especially true with soil in northern Georgia.  In Dawson County most of the soil is heavy clay.  Heavy clay soils often hold excessive amounts of water and not enough air...
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[ In Garden & Landscape ]
Summer Landscape Tips
Cleanup fallen rose and peony leaves.  They can harbor disease and insect pests over the winter if allowed to remain on the ground...
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[ In Garden & Landscape ]
Create a Sun Map to Achieve Your Best Garden
Your Hostas and Azaleas will fry in hot afternoon sun here in Georgia, while the Rose you love won’t give you the blooms you want if it’s getting only an hour or so of morning sun. It’s amazing how much the angle of the sun changes from one season to another...
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[ In Garden & Landscape ]
This May Be Very Good Year for Gardeners
Because of the increase in soil moisture weeds may be a problem, but I would much rather have weeds and rain than dry weather...
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[ In Garden & Landscape ]
Prevention is Best
A well-fed plant is a healthy, disease-resistant plant.  Take a soil sample and follow the recommendations.  Improve soil with organic matter (compost or cover crops).  Mulch around plants.  This provides a more even water supply and prevents water stress...
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[ In Garden & Landscape ]
Sweep Away Pest Problems with Spring Cleaning
Insects can come into your home through tiny openings such as cracks in the foundation, gaps around windows or holes in screens.  They can ride in on flowers, clothes baskets or grocery bags...
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