Published on 07/03/08

Defeating Chinese privet on “Gardening in Georgia"

As important as weather and water, a gardener needs tools to get the job done. Walter Reeves unearths the right ones on the next “Gardening in Georgia with Walter Reeves” July 9 and 12.

"Gardening in Georgia" airs on Georgia Public Broadcasting stations across Georgia each Wednesday at 7 p.m. and Saturday at 12:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.

Pulling Chinese privet at his family’s farm won’t be easy, but Reeves has some secret weapons to show to help uproot the devilish shrub. Not one to waste, he’ll use his neighbors old mailbox to store useful garden items, too.

He’ll use his favorite tools to keep crepe myrtles, flowering cherry and crabapple trees manageable by controlling root suckers or small limbs.

Karen Park Jennings from Park Seed in South Carolina will show a dazzling array of edible plants, like purple basil and white-skinned cucumbers.

While they aren’t typically easy to identify, spittle bugs leave telltale signs on plants with their characteristic foamy exterior. Reeves will explain how to watch for them.

“Gardening in Georgia” is coproduced by the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences and GPB. It's underwritten by McCorkle Nurseries and the Georgia Urban Agriculture Council.

Learn more about the show and download useful publications at the Web site www.gardeningingeorgia.com.

Kristen Plank is a student writer with the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.

Experts/Sources:

Walter F. Reeves

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