Lawn and Garden
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Many residents and properties in Georgia have a significant number of pecan trees or small backyard orchards. While pecan trees in commercial orchards are meticulously managed, noncommercial growers encounter challenges in applying the same level of intensive management to their own pecan trees. This guide provides essential tasks specifically designed for the care of these backyard trees.
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Fairy ring is an umbrella term for a disease that can be caused by more than 60 different species of basidiomycete fungi. It is particularly damaging on golf greens, but can affect all turf species in Georgia. Infection leads to localized dry spots and nutrient imbalances. No single strategy guarantees complete control, but integrating thatch reduction, water management, fertility optimization, and targeted fungicide applications can significantly mitigate disease impact.
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Urban gardeners and farmers may have concerns about potentially harmful contaminants in their soils. By determining the historical use of the land, one can test for soil contamination associated with prior use. This publication outlines appropriate testing procedures for soil contamination and recommends best gardening practices for working in urban soils.
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Magnolias, which are evergreen trees and shrubs, are a common landscape plant species in the southern U.S. Magnolia scale, native to the eastern U.S., is a serious pest of both native and non-native magnolias. Magnolia scale is found in 29 states in the U.S. and can reach the size of a human thumb, making it one of the largest scales in the country. It exclusively feeds on magnolias found in ornamental landscapes.
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Turfgrass is an important component of many landscapes. Research has shown that landscapes support diverse, abundant, and intact bee communities in New York, California, and Ohio. In fact, the abundance and diversity of bees visiting home landscapes have been observed to approach, and even exceed, numbers in nearby natural and/or agricultural systems. If the turfgrass has been treated or is being treated with insecticides, the pollinators can be exposed directly or indirectly to the insecticides on the weeds. This can cause lethal or sublethal effects on these pollinators. The guidelines in this publication will reduce insecticide exposure to pollinators as they seek nectar and pollen from plants around lawns.
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Bermudagrass mite is a microscopic mite species (at or smaller than ~0.2 mm or 0.0078 in.) that only infests and feeds on bermudagrass and has become an increasing problem in Georgia. It can develop into a serious problem on golf courses, athletic fields, sod farms, and both residential and public lawns. Bermudagrass mite infestations can reduce the aesthetic value of the turfgrass, causing thinning and poor grass growth. The size of bermudagrass mites poses a real challenge in identifying and monitoring the population in fields.
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Fall armyworms are native to North America and can destroy lawn grass and other turf. They first reach Georgia in the spring or early summer, and caterpillars are noticeable in turfgrass in early July. The third, fourth, and fifth stages of fall armyworm caterpillars are the destructive stages. The younger stages (first through third larval stages) are tiny and hard to see in the grass. When infested, green turfgrass will gradually turn brown as the caterpillars grow. The damaged turfgrass may appear diseased or like it experienced drought.
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The walnut caterpillar is native to North America and is mostly distributed in the eastern part of the United States. The larvae feed on the leaves of the plants such as pecan, walnut, butternut, and other species of hickory. Although it is an occasional insect pest, it feeds voraciously. This publication provides growers with information about its biology, damage symptoms, and management options.
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The Asian longhorned beetle is an invasive insect pest native to China and North and South Korea that threatens many hardwood trees in forests and landscapes in the United States. The pest is also referred to as the roundheaded borer because the segment below the head is round in shape.
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