By Wayne McLaurin
University of Georgia

As part of my job, I'm accountable to all of the county agents in the University of Georgia Extension Service. That's where most of my questions come from.

After 30-plus years of answering, I've heard most of the questions that come my way before. But occasionally I'm stumped. That's the time to pull out the books, go to the Internet and ask colleagues.

10 most common questions

1. The ends of my tomatoes are brown. What's the problem? "Blossom-End Rot" (www.ces.uga.edu/Agriculture/horticulture/ blossom-rot.html).
2. How much of an area do I need for a vegetable garden? "Small Garden Plan for Georgia" (pubs.caes.uga.edu/caespubs/pubcd/L178-w.htm).
3. Will mulching help my garden? "Mulching Vegetables" (www.ces.uga.edu/Agriculture/horticulture/ veg-mulch.html).
4. What can I do in my vegetable garden when a water restriction is in force? "Conserving Water in the Vegetable Garden" (www.ces.uga.edu/Agriculture/horticulture/ conswater-veg.html).
5. How do I go about making compost? "Composting: Feed Your Lawn - Not the Landfill" (www.ces.uga.edu/Agriculture/horticulture/ composting.html) and "Composting and Mulching: A Guide to Managing Organic Landscape Refuse" (www.ces.uga.edu/ pubcd/c816-w.html) or (www.ces.uga.edu/ pubs/PDF/c816.pdf).
6. What can I put into my compost pile? (Refer to No. 5.)
7. What vegetables can I plant and when? "Home Vegetable Gardening" (pubs.caes.uga.edu/caespubs/pubs/pdf/L171.pdf).
8. Can I grow vegetables organically in Georgia? "Growing Vegetables Organically" (www.ces.uga.edu/ pubcd/b1011-w.html).
9. Can I grow my own transplants? "Home Garden Transplants" (www.ces.uga.edu/ pubcd/l128-w.html).
10. Which herbs can I grow in my garden? "Herbs in Southern Gardens" ($5) (www.ces.uga.edu/ pubs/ForSale.html).