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Don't let fire ants ruin your afternoons. CAES News
Controlling Fire Ants
Fall is perfect for playing football, picking pumpkins and killing fire ants. Tackling the stinging pests now will cut down on the number you encounter next spring and summer, according to entomologists with the University of Georgia.
Yellow leaves on a tree in the fall of the year CAES News
Mower Mulching
Everyone loves to have good shade trees in their yard, but once summer is over, most people despise dealing with fallen leaves. There is an option that avoids having to rake leaves altogether: Let your mower do the work.
Home landscapes typically include a collection of plants that are the homeowner's personal favorites. University of Georgia Extension experts say before buying and installing plants, make sure you select the proper place. Plants who prefer shade will not perform well in a sunny spot and a plant that will eventually grow to be tall and wide will not do well in a small confined space. CAES News
Landscape Plan
Late summer is an excellent time to plan landscape renovations. If you establish plans now, then you will be ready to take advantage of fall, the best time to plant. Many Georgia Master Gardener Extension Volunteer Program groups across the state hold fall plant sales now. Before you hit your first sale, there are a few things to consider.
Cool Wave Lemon Surprise and Cool Wave Pin It petunias start to tumble against a backdrop of traditional taller purple pansies. CAES News
Cool Wave Pansies
During the summer, we think of flowers like petunias as those fragrant, spilling or tumbling flowers cascading over the rims of baskets and mixed containers. That same show of incredible color coupled with tantalizing fragrance can be achieved during the cool season with pansies like those of the Cool Wave series.
To maintain a healthy compost pile, you need to maintain the proper moisture level. Compost organisms need water to survive and function at their best. Inadequate water will inhibit the activities of compost organisms, resulting in a slower compost process. If the pile is too moist, water will displace air and create anaerobic conditions. The moisture level of a compost pile should be roughly 40 to 60 percent. CAES News
Composting Tips
To maintain a healthy compost pile, you need to maintain the proper moisture level. Compost organisms are like people — both need water to survive and function at their best. Inadequate water will inhibit the activities of compost organisms, resulting in a slower compost process. A high temperature is also desirable in a backyard compost pile, as it accelerates decomposition.
To make a drilled wood nest, drill a 3- to 5-inch hole in untreated wood without going all the way through the wood. Then, drill a variety of hole diameters, from one-quarter of an inch to three-eighths of an inch, all approximately three-quarters of an inch apart. Holes that are smaller in diameter should be 3 to 4 inches deep, and holes more than one-fourth of an inch in diameter should be 4 to 5 inches deep. CAES News
Honeyless Bees
Adding native bee nesting sites to your garden is one of the easiest ways to increase pollinator numbers. Native bees are more effective pollinators than honeybees for many reasons.
The luna moth is native to a wide area of the eastern half of the United States. Oddly, the adults do not eat. They live about a week and their sole purpose is to mate. CAES News
Stunning Moths
When it comes to insects, butterflies and bees get all the press, but there are many moths that deserve some attention. The scarlet-bodied wasp moth is one favorite, followed by the luna moth and the clearwing humminghird moth.
A silver-spotted skipper perches atop a rudbeckia triloba. The brown-centered coned-flowers have petals of yellow-orange that are produced in abundance from late summer into fall. Some references suggest it's biennial, or a short-lived perennial, while others call it a perennial that reseeds. CAES News
Brown-eyed Susan
It’s been 20 years since the Georgia Gold Medal program gave its prestigious award to one of the most persevering native perennials of all time, the Rudbeckia triloba. It is quite remarkable that a plant with no dazzling name other than the "three-lobed rudbeckia" or "brown-eyed Susan" staked a place not only in fame but also in the marketplace.
Hydrangea paniculata varieties, like 'Chantilly Lace' and 'Pink Winky', have both sterile and fertile flowers and attract a lot of bees, butterflies and other pollinators. CAES News
Panicle Hydrangeas
Everyone who visits the Coastal Georgia Botanical Garden at the Historic Bamboo Farm in Savannah loves the hydrangea paniculatas. Plant them against a backdrop of deep green garden foliage or combine them with cottage garden plants like rudbeckias. Bees, butterflies, wasps and giant flies will be drawn to ‘Chantilly Lace’ or ‘Pinky Winky.'