Your lawn may be the envy of the neighborhood, but many people find that along the way, what they hoped would be the emerald-colored carpet leading to their home poses some challenges to their gardening skill. Many lawn problems can be prevented with good cultural practices. Here are the top 10 things you can do to maintain and improve the health of your lawn: 1. Choose the right turf. Warm season turfs, such as hybrid Bermuda, zoysia and centipede are fairly drought tolerant and make good choices for our climate. If you prefer a grass that stays green all winter, then tall fescue is a good …

Every year at Easter, you can find the beautiful, fragrant, white flowers of the Easter Lily, Lilium longiflorum, gracing the altars of many churches. Covered in showy flowers, the Easter Lily has come to represent the essence of Easter. If you receive an Easter Lily this holiday, you will be glad to know that it can be planted outdoors and grown as a perennial in our area. Care for it well and you will be rewarded with a yearly display of the large white, showy trumpet-shaped flowers. How do you make this happen? Prepare an area for planting your Easter Lilies that is full sun. Amend the …

Nancy Hinkle, PhD. entomologist with the University of Georgia Cooperative Extension, is seeking help from Paulding County residents to help track the emergence of the periodic cicada in Georgia this year. You can learn more about this unique insect and how you can contribute to this project by reading the request from Dr. Hinkle: Brood XIX of our 13-year cicadas is scheduled to emerge here in Georgia starting in late spring and running through June. They will come out, sing their "song of summer," mate, lay eggs, and die within just a couple of months. And we won't see this species again …

Lots of people seem to be interested in organic gardening, but most are not sure where to get started. In fact, many are not really even be able to define what it means to be “organic.” A generally accepted definition of organic gardening is the use of cultural practices to improve soil and plant health and reduce plant problems without the use of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides. Is that as clear as mud?  Does organic gardening mean that you cannot use any pesticides? Surprisingly, no! There are organic pesticides available. Typically these products are derived from natural, rather than …

Each year the Paulding County University of Georgia Cooperative Extension Master Gardeners offer a scholarship to a member of our community who is studying or planning to study a horticulture-related field. Master Gardeners support this local scholarship through their annual plant sale, with the next one to be held Saturday, April 30. The $1,000 scholarship is awarded based on an application process. To be eligible for the scholarship, you must apply and meet certain requirements:  Applicant must be a resident of Paulding County. Applicant must be currently enrolled in (or formally accepted …

Spring seems to have sprung and officially, it did begin on March 20. We have had some beautiful warm days and it has many folks itching to start their spring/summer vegetable garden. However, it is still too early to plant tender vegetable plants, like tomatoes, bell peppers and squash! Why is it too early? I am sure that you have seen these vegetable plants for sale at our local garden centers, but Mother Nature missed the memo. In our part of the world, our average last frost date is in mid-April! Sure, it jumps around a bit: Last year it was on March 7. In 2009, April 8; 2008, March 25; …

Do you love spending time in the yard or garden? Wish you knew more about gardening, whether it is homegrown veggies or colorful flowers—like what to do before you plant, where to plant, then what to do to get great squash or tomatoes? Come learn about gardening from the masters ... the Master Gardeners, that is!  Paulding County University of Georgia Cooperative Extension and Master Gardeners are planning several gardening programs to help you learn about gardening right here in Paulding County. Whether you are new to gardening or an experienced gardener, you are welcome to come out and …

Recently, I have been to visit my Mom at her home quite frequently. When I am there assisting in the kitchen, I am required to sort through things and save fruit and vegetable peels, coffee grounds, tea bags and anything else my mother has designated as salvageable. She is a child of the depression, who really believes in the saying, “Waste not, want not.” Additionally, she is an avid gardener who uses these collected materials to help her grow beautiful perennial flowers, hardy shrubbery, great trees, and she churns out enough vegetables to supply her friends and neighbors. What is her …

Springlike weather has many people itching to get outside and get moving. Are you ready to get fit this spring? University of Georgia Cooperative Extension has developed an online program to help support your physical fitness goals.  You can sign up until March 9 at www.walkgeorgia.org.  Walk Georgia is an eight-week program to increase your physical activity in a fun, community-oriented way. You may participate as an individual and track your progress with other individuals in your county and state OR form a team of four to exercise together. The online component of Walk Georgia provides an …

Now that February is coming to an end, you are probably beginning to see some signs of spring. Maybe you have already thought about preparing your lawn for spring. If you have looked closely at your lawn in preparation, you may suddenly notice that there are quite a few weeds growing with gusto. Those weeds did not just pop up overnight! They are cool-season plants that germinated from seed last fall that have matured during the winter. Many of them may even be flowering and going to seed at this time of year. A few common winter weeds of lawns that you may be seeing right now include: hairy …

Today is Arbor Day in Georgia and now is the ideal time of year to plant a new tree in your landscape!  It is still cool outside, but the soil is workable and now is an excellent time of year to carry out successful planting or transplanting since trees will have time to produce new roots before having to supply water to lots of hot thirsty leaves in the spring. If you decide to plant now, you will be rewarded with lower maintenance time for the trees when spring does arrive. If you are transplanting a small tree, early planting is especially important since roots will be damaged and lost …

Paulding County University of Georgia Cooperative Extension recently recognized Rachel Dutton, Joanne Fudger and LuAnne Reed for achieving Lifetime Master Gardener status. These volunteers received their Lifetime Master Gardener Certificates and badges at the Paulding County Master Gardeners Annual Harvest Dinner. Lifetime Master Gardener recognition is awarded to certified Master Gardeners who have remained active for 10 years. Georgia Master Gardeners who have received Lifetime recognition are still obligated to report a minimum of 25 hours of volunteer service annually to remain an active …

February is upon us and it is time to get out the pruning shears! Many shrubs can be safely pruned beginning in February and into March in Paulding County. Pruning in the correct manner and at the proper time can help to maintain the size and shape of your woody plants, improving their appearance and appealing to the artist in every gardener. Pruning also plays an important role in the health, productivity and well-being of woody plants, appealing to the scientific side of a gardener. Three techniques that are important to understand if you are pruning woody plants relate to tool sanitation, …

Despite the recent "snowpocolypse", Georgia winters are usually relatively short and mild.  Most of us natives usually hole up inside even during the warmest of Georgia winters and we give little thought to our vegetable gardens, but spring is really not too far away. So now is an excellent time to spend some time daydreaming and planning for the success of your spring vegetable garden. There are even some steps you can take from the comfort of your cozy couch to prepare for a successful harvest once the weather turns warmer! Make a plan using these tips to get started while the weather is …

In the debt of winter, your lawn and garden may not be your top priority. Undoubtedly, the cold weather, our recent snow and short days are not big motivating factors for planning the spring planting. However, there is something you can do now that will help your plants in spring, summer and fall when we might finally get a few showers and the opportunity to enjoy gardening again. It is as simple as going into your yard and collecting soil from 10 to 12 spots, and combining each small sample in a clean plastic bucket to create one larger representative sample for soil testing through the …