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Published on 07/05/05

Buy plants, cook stumps on 'Gardening' July 16

University of Georgia

Host Walter Reeves shows how to buy the perfect plant at your nursery on "Gardening in Georgia" July 16 on Georgia Public Broadcasting.

"Gardening in Georgia" is produced by GPB and the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. It airs each Saturday at 12:30 and 7 p.m.

On this week's show, Reeves visits with nursery owner Stuart Cofer to learn some tricks on selecting plants. Cofer shows how to examine plants in a nursery before buying them. The roots, he says, are the keys to a healthy plant.

Reeves shows a way to "cook" a stump, too, rather than digging or grinding it down. His recipe involves drilling several deep holes into the stump and then packing them with rich, woods dirt. Then he sprinkles some 10-10-10 on top, wets the mound and covers it with clear plastic and a bit of pine straw. In a few months, the stump will be gone.

Finally, Reeves looks closely at planthoppers, small insects known for their jumping ability. Planthoppers do little damage to plants. If you find them distracting from the beauty of your plants, though, a blast from a water hose or a water pistol will remove them.

Dan Rahn is a news editor with the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.